A Royal Engagement
by Ruxandra Antonescu
Summary: Bruce and Diana are set to get married. Who will stand in the way? The sequel to Ad Interim.
1. Chapter 1

Hi, all! Finally got a bit of a reprieve from all the maniacal studying that I've been doing lately. It took me a while to get warmed up with this one primarily because I had too many exams, lectures and laboratories to deal with. So, I do apologize if my writing is not up to expectations :)

Anyway, a big thank you to Lloyd RPGFan for giving me this idea to begin with. You are a veritable fount of wonderful suggestions! Special thanks goes out to mbembet as well, for being my 'technical' adviser and sounding board. Without him, I would be googling endlessly!

I hope you enjoy this one! Please do let me know what you think via reviews and/or PM's. They really do mean a lot to me and they help me move the story forward.

As always, I do not own any of the DC characters. If I did... well... suffice to say, something's not going to get published this October... *insert evil laugh here*

P.S. I might not be able to update as quickly as I normally do (Damn you, med school! Damn you! LoL) but I promise to finish this story and to try my best not to keep you guys waiting for too long... ;)

* * *

**Prologue**

She scanned through the pages of The Daily Planet while she sipped her steaming mug of coffee. Her emerald green eyes widened in surprise when she reached the society pages of the award-winning newspaper and saw a photograph of Bruce Wayne with a raven-haired woman who could easily win an international beauty pageant. Well, it was not a particularly earth-shattering occurrence for her to see Bruce with a stunning beauty beside him. The man actually made sure he appeared in any form of media, usually with some ditzy but gorgeous socialite. What surprised her was the article's title:

_A Royal Engagement  
__By: Lois Lane & Clark Kent_

_It is official. Gotham's most eligible bachelor is finally off the market. After years and years of living the jet setting lifestyle of a decadent billionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne has decided to tie the proverbial knot. This reporter can almost hear the sighs of relief from bachelors everywhere, who will be more than thankful to have this hard-hitting player finally out of the dating arena. This reporter can also almost hear the morose sighs of women who would have wanted to bear the title of 'Mrs. Bruce Wayne.'_

_The question, of course, begs to be asked, 'Who is the woman amazing enough to make the Prince of Gotham give up his hedonistic single-blessedness and reform his rakish ways?'_

_Enter Princess Diana of Themyscira, the extraordinarily beautiful aristocrat from a paradise island somewhere in the middle of the Aegean Sea, the home to the Amazons, a race of warrior women created by the Olympian gods, whose most popular citizen is their princess, known the world over as Wonder Woman._

_Those sighs just turned into growls of envy, did they not?_

_We watched them as they made their way to the table for our lunch interview. Gotham's favorite socialite had his arm around the statuesque figure of the world's most adored super heroine and was laughing at something that she was saying. Heads turned and mouths gaped as other diners cannot help but notice what a striking couple the two of them made. And since this reporter simply cannot do a sappy engagement article without wanting to yarp, I have decided to let the happy couple speak for themselves. Here are excerpts from our interview:_

_Clark: How did you two meet?_

_Princess Diana: Paris (Toothpaste manufacturers would kill for a smile like hers to grace their ads). I was attending a gala and Bruce 'saved' me from rather… excessive… media attention._

_Bruce: Always the diplomat (His lazy grin would also do toothpaste commercials a world of good). You were being mobbed, Diana. I felt it was my duty to save you. Somehow, you found a way to bring out the 'knight in shining armor' in me._

_The look that our power couple shared can only be described as mutually besotted._

_Clark: Was it love at first sight?_

_Princess Diana: To be very honest, I was attracted to him. And it didn't hurt that he is a good dancer._

_Bruce: Definitely love at first sight for me. I mean, look at her. Have you ever seen somebody as beautiful? No offense, Lois._

_Lois: None taken. What were your first impressions?_

_Bruce: (gives out a low whistle) With that black dress…_

_Princess Diana: (rolls her eyes at her fiancé) I have heard about Bruce's reputation during my first few months here in Patriarch's World but I thought it best to give him the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps the media was mistaken in describing him. He really can't be that much of a womanizer, can he?_

_Bruce: Let's not answer that question…_

_Lois: Speaking of reputations, Princess Diana…_

_Princess Diana: Please, call me Diana, Lois._

_Lois: Diana, are you not worried that your fiancé's rather frivolous reputation might undermine your own?_

_Princess Diana: Absolutely not. I would like to think that people could look past Bruce's… uhmm… playful nature and see that he actually does more than party around. Apart from donating to charities, he is actually very involved in organizing various events and participates in volunteering. So, you see, his mission to make the world a better place is not so different from mine._

_Bruce: You're making me sound like a saint, Diana._

_Clark: Rumor has it that you were dating Superman, Princess Diana._

_Princess Diana: And that's what they are… just rumors. Superman is a valued and trusted friend, a respected colleague._

_Lois: Clark, we are not tabloid reporters._

_Clark: I'm just saying that's what some people are thinking. They are two of earth's mightiest superheroes. It is only logical that some people might think that they are together._

_Bruce: Well, unfortunately for the Man of Steel, Diana is marrying me. That's that._

_Lois: And what about you, Bruce? Do you not have any misgivings? You are marrying a superhero, after all._

_Bruce: None at all, Lois. Besides, there are certain… perks… to being engaged to Wonder Woman. I'm sure every other Tom, Dick and Harry have fantasies about the Lasso of – Ow! (The warrior princess elbows the playboy on the ribs)_

_Diana: Oh, do stop being flippant, Bruce. It is a weapon, not a toy._

_Our lunch interview continued with the couple bickering with each other. The chemistry between them was palpable despite the initial general consensus that they were as different as night and day. But as the cliché goes, 'Love moves in mysterious ways.' After all is said and done, public opinion will not matter because a blind man can see that our prince and princess are clearly in love with each other. It is this reporter's sincere hope that this fairytale will truly end with a happy ever after._

Slowly, she lowered the newspaper down on the table. She almost wanted to snarl, like a predator whose territory was being usurped. _This has to be some sort of publicity stunt_, she tried to convince herself. _He will never settle down, especially not with a paragon of virtue like her._

A black cat leapt onto her lap. "I think it's time to go back to Gotham and pay someone a little visit. Don't you think so, Isis?" she asked her pet.

The cat curled up on her mistress' lap and purred in agreement as Selina Kyle scratched her behind the ears.


	2. Chapter 2

This chapter contains a bit of humor and basic BMWW fluff meant to set the groundwork for the incoming chapters :)

Thank you to mbembet, Lloyd RPGFan, Zenness, dragonball256, The Mortal Knight and guest for the reviews! And editlady617, thanks for the subtle reminder about the songs! I knew something was missing somewhere haha! Thus, this chapter's title is taken from the (French) song entitled Gabriel by Najoua Belyzel. The song is about a love triangle (surprise! surprise!). And thanks to Aztec-08 for a PM that contained a lot of compliments that it actually made me blush *wink*

* * *

**Es Tu Fait Pour Lui? Es Tu Fait Pour Moi?**  
_(Are you made for him? Are you made for me?)_

"So," he impulsively slung an arm around her shoulder. "What do you think, angel?"

"I don't know…" Diana answered uncertainly, frowning as she thought over what he had suggested.

_Only an angel can frown like that and still look gorgeous_, Steve Trevor thought, utterly smitten over the heavenly creature beside him. _And her skin is so soft and smooth_. A finger twitched but he quelled the impulse to rub his hand over her shoulder. He knew that he was already courting danger by putting his arm around her to begin with. He did not want to press his luck.

"It's for a good cause," he coaxed.

"I understand, Steve," she looked up at him with eyes as blue as the ocean. _An ocean that I would happily drown in,_ came the mesmerized thought. "But auctioning me off? That almost sounds like I'm a – a trophy to be won… or a slave…" She chewed her lower lip at the offensive thought.

_Does she have any idea how sexy that is?_ Steve mused.

"Don't think about it like that, angel," Steve told her. "Not only is it for a good cause, it will humanize the Justice League as well. You once said that one of the League's missions is to avoid alienating yourselves from the rest of humanity. It's mainly why this building was created, was it not?" He waved his other hand in front of him, gesturing around the Metrotower's conference room.

Diana belatedly noticed the arm around her shoulder. She took a step away from the former US Air Force pilot, forcing him to drop his arm. "I really wish you would stop calling me that, Steve. That… endearment… seems inappropriate."

Steve flashed her his most winning smile. "I can't help it, angel. I mean, Diana."

"But why only the three of us?" she asked. "Batman, Superman and I are not the only ones who make up the League. At the very least, the other founding members should be included."

"Included in what?" Superman walked into the conference room with a smile of curiosity.

"Hello, Kal," Diana greeted him. "Steve suggested that the League create a charity foundation, mainly for those people who are victims of natural calamities, civil wars, terrorist attacks and the like."

"I don't see why not. That's a pretty good idea," Superman nodded amiably.

"I told you he'd like it," Steve winked at Diana. "We can call it the Trinity Foundation."

"The what?" Superman's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Apparently, that's what people are calling you, me and Batman," Diana answered.

"That is a little bit… egotistical, don't you think?" Superman's frown deepened. "The Justice League is a group effort."

Diana gave Steve a triumphant smile. "And I told you we should include the others."

"We can call it the Justice League Foundation if it makes you happy. But I'm telling you, the three of you are the most recognizable among all the members, founders or not," Steve argued. "We can begin with the Trinity for the first event and then we can introduce the others in the succeeding fundraisers."

"I still have misgivings about being auctioned off," Diana reminded him.

"What are you talking about?" Superman looked from one to the other.

"I suggested that we hold an auction," Steve explained. "Dinner with Diana for the highest bidder. Same goes with you and Batman."

"Somebody's not going to be too keen about that idea," the Man of Steel gave Diana a knowing look.

Diana smirked. "He will have strong… reservations. Of that, I am certain."

"So," Steve looked pointedly at Diana. "Shall we talk about the specifics over coffee?"

Diana opened her mouth to reply but Superman beat her to it with the trademark cluelessness of mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent. "Coffee sounds wonderful, Steve."

"And while you two iron out the details, I'll go see what Batman thinks about it," Diana said. She waved goodbye to the two men as she walked out of the conference room.

"Wait! Diana – I – uh…" Steve stammered, reaching out towards the Amazon's retreating back.

"Shall we?" Superman prompted, the corners of his lips twitched.

Steve sighed, shoulders slumping down dejectedly. _How in the world did I end up in a coffee date with Superman?_

* * *

"No."

"But, Bruce…"

"I said no, Diana," Bruce repeated curtly.

Diana took a deep, fortifying breath. "It's for a good cause and it humanizes the League, makes us more relatable to the humans." She repeated Steve's sound reasons.

"Batman does not have any plans of being humanized," Bruce's face hardened even more. "He is an urban legend created to strike fear into the hearts of criminals. Good cause or not, he will not go around selling himself off as a potential dinner date. Not then, not now, not ever."

"You do realize that referring to yourself in the third person is a sign of impending insanity, right?"

"And you do realize that this entire 'charity event' is just a convoluted ruse hatched by Trevor because he has a crush on _**my**_ fiancée, right?" he retorted acidly.

Diana rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be silly, Bruce. Steve is harmless."

"Besides, he has no business meddling with League affairs," he continued to rant. "He is working under the capacity of government liaison – not public relations consultant."

"He means well and you cannot refute the fact that what he suggests makes sense."

Bruce remained silent, unable to argue the logic behind the idea. Instead, his fingers furiously flew over the keyboard on the laptop on top of his executive table. During the day, when he did not have any business meetings, he preferred working at his penthouse in the Wayne Foundation Building primarily because deep within the building's foundations, he had installed a bunker that served as a secondary Batcave. It had been a pleasant surprise when Diana flew into his 'home away from home.' But when she told him about Trevor's idea, he had gotten… irritated. _The idea is commendable but the man is annoyingly insufferable_, he thought crossly.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Diana move behind his chair. He tensed as she placed her hands on his shoulders and began kneading the tight muscles. "Why do you work so hard?" she murmured.

He blinked, mildly surprised at the sudden change of topic. "I enjoy working," he answered truthfully. Slowly, the tension in his muscles dissipated under Diana's expert ministrations. "And if you think playing the masseuse will make me change my mind, the answer is still no."

He thought he heard her snicker. "Of course not. All I'm asking is for you to think about it." She stopped massaging him and perched on the arm of his chair. "We can easily do something else instead of auctioning off dinner dates. Maybe we can have Batman sing a song," she wiggled her eyebrows teasingly.

Bruce stopped staring at his laptop and leaned back against his chair. Her proximity made parts of his anatomy react in a throbbingly pleasurable manner. A smooth and tanned thigh was brushing against his arm, as she swung her leg to and fro. Almost out of their own volition, his eyes moved upward along her impossibly long limbs, her voluptuous hips, up and over the rounded tops of her breasts and finally riveting on the inviting curve of her full lips… lips that were meant to be kissed thoroughly. _By me,_ he thought fiercely. _Only me._ Her long eyelashes cast soft shadows on her cheeks, tilted blue eyes sparkling as they met his own.

"And now, you're trying to seduce me into agreeing," he stated accusingly.

"Seduce you?" Diana threw her head back, laughing in disbelief. "By the gods! You do come up with the strangest ideas, Bruce! I don't think I would know how to do that even if my life depended on it!"

He studied her intently. Her face was, as always, devoid of any form of guile or deceit. "You really don't have a clue sometimes, do you?" Bruce asked her, ruefully shaking his head.

Diana sobered quickly and crossed her hands over her chest. "I know I still have much to learn about the ways of Man's World, Bruce. But, I don't appreciate you calling me naïve. I – eek!" she squealed unable to finish her sentence when Bruce grabbed her and yanked her onto his lap.

"I meant that as a compliment to your innocence," he kissed the tip of her nose.

Diana pouted, unconvinced.

"God help me if you ever decide to learn how to use your feminine wiles, Princess," he murmured, giving in to the clamoring demands of his body. His head dipped down and caught the protruding lower lip between his, sucking on it gently. He groaned as Diana shifted on his lap so that she could put her arms around his neck and press herself closer to his hard body.

"I still have a lot of work to finish," he broke off the kiss reluctantly.

"As you wish," Diana smiled up at him. Her expression was still glazed with passion. "Just think over the suggestion, okay? With that mind of yours, I know you will find a way to change it to suit your liking. And remember, it is for a good cause."

Bruce nodded, a plan already forming in his head.

"Anyway," Diana made a move to stand. "I should go. What would you like for dinner?"

"You," his arm tightened around her waist, effectively keeping her body against his.

"That can be arranged," she giggled, planting a quick kiss on his lips. "Is there anything special you would like for dessert?"

"The same thing I'd like for dinner."


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you, Lloyd RPGFan for this brilliant suggestion *wink*

As always, thank you for those who took the time to leave a review, namely: mbembet, The Mortal Knight, Lloyd RPGFan, Zenness, ZeldaIsis, dragonball256, Shadowhawk93, Lara, GravityIsOverated, Lemon Turkey and guest x 4. Much thanks to those who clicked Favorite/Follow as well!

Using lyrics from the song "Papa Don't Preach" by Madonna... I found the lyrics quite fitting for this chapter. Well, maybe not the "Papa" bit but you'll see what I mean... LoL

Don't worry, I'll get to that charity ball sooner or later and some points that have been raised in the reviews will be explained in due time :) but for now... Let's complicate things just a little bit more... ;)

* * *

**Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea**

Diana's secretary looked up as the princess walked up to her desk.

"Good morning, Etta," Diana greeted her with a smile.

"Morning, Di!" The chubby redhead replied.

"Isn't it a little bit too early for that?" Diana's smile widened, pointing at the box of chocolates prominently displayed on Etta Candy's desk. It was almost half-empty.

Etta winked at her boss. "A girl's gotta work on keeping her curves."

"Of course," Diana chuckled. "I'll just be in my office if you need me."

Diana felt a presence the second she entered her office in the Themysciran Embassy. She closed the door and silently locked it behind her. Her muscles tensed, unconsciously taking on a defensive stance as she surveyed the room warily. The chair at her desk swiveled around slowly.

"Diana," the woman stood up.

Diana's face broke into a heartfelt smile when she recognized who had come for a visit. "Mother!" She flew forward and engulfed Queen Hippolyta in a warm embrace. "It's so good to see you! When did you arrive?"

"Just now," the Queen replied.

"Etta must have neglected to tell me you were here," Diana said. "Have you eaten? I could ask her to get something for you." She turned towards the door.

"When were you planning to tell me?" the Amazon Queen asked bluntly. "After the wedding?"

Diana winced. _Hera, Bruce was right, we should have gone to her straight away_, she thought. Turning around slowly, she willed herself to meet her mother's stern gaze. She swallowed nervously. "Mother, I – we – we were going to come visit you in Themyscira but…"

_I know you're going to be upset  
Coz I was always your little girl  
But you should know by now  
I'm not a baby_

"What kind of man would ask a woman to marry him without her mother's permission?" Hippolyta tossed a newspaper onto the desk. Diana couldn't help but see the huge photograph of her and Bruce. It was the article written by Lois and Clark about the engagement.

"Mother," Diana said in a soothing tone of voice. "Please, calm down."

"Do not use that tone with me, young lady!" the Queen's eyes flashed in anger.

"Please, mother, let me explain," Diana beseeched.

"You can try," Queen Hippolyta sat back down, crossing her arms over her chest. She had a royal air about her that made Diana's lazy-boy office chair seem like a throne. Her aristocratic chin was lifted at an angle making her look like a monarch about to sentence a criminal to the hangman.

"Mother," Diana began to explain. "The morning after I accepted Bruce's marriage proposal, he had wanted us to go to Themyscira immediately so we could tell you ourselves before we went public with our engagement. But I – I – wanted to postpone it a little bit…"

"For the love of Gaea, why?" her mother was a hair away from yelling.

"Because I knew you would react this way!" Diana shot back hotly, clenching her fists by her sides.

"Well, what do you expect?" Hippolyta stood up, the oak table creaked when the Queen's fist thumped onto it. "My daughter, the champion of the gods! Willingly binding herself to that mortal! That – that – MAN!"

_The one you warned me all about  
The one you said I can do without_

"Bruce is not just a man!" Diana defended. "He is a hero!"

"He has defiled you!"

Diana shook her head vehemently. "He has not defiled me in anyway! He loves me, mother! And I him!"

"He is unworthy of you!"

_He said that he's going to marry me  
And we can raise a little family  
Maybe we'll be alright  
It's a sacrifice_

"Do not judge him just yet, mother," _Why is it so difficult for people to believe that he is good enough for me?_ Diana closed her eyes, letting out a long-suffering sigh. Aloud she said, "You do not know him. If there is one man worthy of my love, it would be him."

_If you could only see  
Just how good he's been treating me  
You'd give us your blessing right now  
Coz we are in love_

A strained silence settled between mother and daughter.

"Very well," Hippolyta finally spoke up. "He will have to prove himself. It has been decreed."

Diana's eyes snapped open. "What do you mean?"

"Hermes himself has come to me and told me what the gods have decided upon," Hippolyta sighed. "That man has to prove himself worthy of being your husband."

"That man's name is _Bruce_, mother," Diana frowned. "What does he have to do?"

"He must go through a trial of the gods."

"And if he refuses?"

"Then, he will be deemed unworthy," Hippolyta replied. "No wedding will take place and you will go back to Themyscira, never to return to Man's World."

Diana gasped. "How could you agree to that, mother?"

"It is the will of the gods, Diana."

"Trial or no, I will still marry him," Diana stubbornly stated.

The Queen looked at her sadly. "If you were to do that without the gods' blessing, your powers will be taken from you, Diana. You will become a mortal. I will not allow that."

"I am not afraid to be one," Diana looked at her mother steadily in the eye. "If that's what it takes, then so be it. I will not have him subjected to petty trials just so he could prove his worth. In my eyes, he has proven himself many times over."

Diana flinched as Queen Hippolyta reached out to touch her cheek. "I see that you really do love him, Diana," she said softly. "As your mother, I want you to find love and be happy. Please understand that I am just worried. That man you chose to be your mate – Bruce – is very… unconventional. I just don't want you to make the same mistake as I did and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Don't you even dare try to compare him with Hades, mother," Diana warned. Against her will, her eyes started brimming with tears. "Bruce is not even remotely in the vicinity of similar to Lord of the Underworld."

"Nevertheless, as your Queen, I have to do as the gods command."

A tear fell from Diana's eye. "How can they be so unfair?" she whispered. "I have always prayed to them, always honored them. I have always done what they commanded even if I do not fully agree with their motivations and yet they would try to keep me from being happy?" _Why must they always meddle? _Diana pushed the sacrilegious thought away. She owed the gods her powers. It was only by their grace that she was even alive.

The Queen gathered her daughter into her arms. "Hush now, my little sun and stars. For what it's worth, Aphrodite champions your cause."

"The choice is up to you," Hippolyta stroked her daughter's long black hair as Diana cried silently against her shoulder. "To both of you. At least tell him and let him decide. If he truly is the hero that you say he is, if he really loves you like you say he does, he will prevail."

_How will I ever tell Bruce?_ Diana thought morosely.

* * *

Diana pushed the salad greens around her plate with her fork. _When do I tell him? How do I tell him? Do I even tell him?_

She played through different scenarios in her head.

_Hey, Bruce! Guess who came and visited me at the embassy today?_ She could say that with an enthusiastic smile, so he wouldn't suspect anything too serious. _No_, she thought. _Too cheerful. His paranoia would see through it immediately._

She tried the mythical Amazon warrior princess act. _Bruce, the gods have decreed it. You are to complete a trial of the gods before you can marry me… Ack! Definitely not. He never truly liked my gods to begin with. What did Wally call it again? 'He'll blow a fuse.'_

_ Maybe being the selfless, loving fiancée would work, _she thought desperately. _Bruce, I have decided to give up my powers, become mortal… No, he will never allow me to do that. He will blame himself should anything happen to me once I'm a mere mortal. Just like the way he did when I got shot._

She prayed to the goddess who her mother said supported her most. _Aphrodite, grant that my love will find a way..._

"Alfred's culinary skills not up to par tonight, Princess?" Bruce asked her mildly.

"Huh?" Diana looked up, his deep baritone startling her out of her reverie. "No. No, of course not. The food is perfect, as always. I – uh – I just have a lot of things in my mind, that's all."

Bruce regarded her silently. It was clear that something was bothering her. But instead of prodding, he kept quiet waiting for her to tell him.

"It's just that – well – there's so many things," Diana hedged, looking down at her plate. "There's the wedding to prepare, the Justice League charity ball, the stipulations in several treaties between Themyscira and other nations need to be reviewed and amended, the media hounding me left, right and center…"

"And?" Bruce prompted when she trailed off.

_And the gods thinking that you are not worthy to be my husband_, Diana thought miserably.

She sighed, finally looking up to meet his blue-eyed gaze. "And I wish that I could just go somewhere where nobody knows me. Even for just one day or one night. Great Hera, for just even a few hours." _Stop skirting the truth and_ _just tell him already_, she urged herself. She hated behaving like a coward. Almost as much as she hated keeping things from Bruce.

"Do you have anything planned for tomorrow? We can stay in if you like. Or maybe even go somewhere? Just the two of us," Bruce suggested. Her pulse rate quickened when his handsome face broke into a tender smile. It was a smile that rarely graced his face. It made him look subtly different… more genuine… neither the vapid Bruce Wayne nor the fearsome Batman.

_**This**__ is the man I am going to marry_, Diana returned his smile with one of her own. _Whatever happens, I __**will**__ marry him,_ she thought, her chin lifting up with stubborn determination.

_I've made up my mind  
I'm keeping my baby_

Focusing back on the topic at hand, Diana shook her head ruefully. "As much as I would like to, I can't. I have to go for a fitting at one o'clock. And I'm meeting Steve at five to finalize the plans for the charity gala."

"Reschedule the fitting for the day after tomorrow and have Clark or J'onn meet up with Trevor," Bruce's lips pursed at the mention of the ex-pilot's name. "I've already told them what I want to happen. They should be able to handle the arrangements."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous of Steve," Diana teased.

"Me? Jealous of that shameless flirt?" Bruce snorted. "Please. I just don't like him."

Diana chuckled. The couple continued their meal in silence and Diana went back to musing over how to tell Bruce about the gods' decree.

"So," Bruce said in between bites of his pasta. "Who's making you worried? Your mother or your gods?"

"How did you – " Diana looked at him in surprise.

Bruce shrugged nonchalantly.

Diana sighed, relieved that Bruce gave her the opening that she needed. "Both."

"What do they want?" Her relief was short-lived, however. She could see the telltale signs of tightening around his eyes.

_Might as well be straightforward about this,_ Diana grimaced. She squared her shoulders. "For our marriage to be sanctioned, the gods want you to complete a set of trials to… to…"

"To prove my worth," Bruce finished for her.

Diana nodded mutely.

"What will they have me do?" His tone was impassive but Diana knew that his anger was beginning to simmer.

"I can only hazard a guess," Diana bit her lower lip. "They'll probably ask you to perform a feat of some sort… something to test your body and your mind."

"And if I refuse?"

"I would be ordered to go back to Themyscira."

His brows snapped together. "Is that all, Princess?"

Diana looked him straight in the eyes. "I can choose to stay. I _will_ choose to stay."

"But they will strip you of your powers."

Diana did not have to nod or say anything to confirm his suspicions. She could see that he knew.

"You are doing no such thing, Diana."

"But Bruce, I will not allow –" she started to argue.

"No!" he slammed a fist on the table making the plates and cutlery clatter against each other. Diana stared at him as he stood up and walked stiffly out of the dining room.

"I believe he took that rather well, Miss Diana."

Diana nearly jumped out of her seat, failing to notice Alfred's presence. _How does he do that?_ She mused. She gave the elderly butler a wan smile. "I suppose he did, Alfred."


	4. Chapter 4

_It took me awhile, huh? Life got in the way like it usually does. Scheiße happened to my other stories (long story kinda so nvm asking lol) but don't worry, I'll re-publish soon. I'll just tweak them a little bit according to what I can remember from your reviews *wink*. You guys truly have great ideas and your feedbacks help me improve!_

_Used the song "When You're In Love With a Beautiful Woman" by Dr. Hook as suggested by editlady... La Plata de Nada from Pink Panther 2 as the movie was on TV whilst I was writing this chapter. Literally translated as "Silver Nothing" but I'm pretty sure they meant "A Plate of Nothing." Must be a Steve Martin joke. Umm... What else?... DCwikia is my bestfriend, used it to find out who's richest in the DC world apart from Lex Luthor. Warby Parker is the brand for Superman's glasses in Man of Steel and General Motors made the first Batmobile, a Cadillac if I'm not mistaken. And unfortunately for me, DC owns the characters. LoL_

_This chapter feels a little bit rushed for me so I do apologize in advance. I don't even know if I got the "bids" right. Was I too conservative? Or did I go overboard? I just really want to get on with the Trials of the Gods (and this other BMWW story, in collaboration with another writer). Consider this me flexing my writing muscles. :D_

* * *

**The Highest Bidder**

Bruce surveyed the huge function room and nodded in satisfaction upon seeing that everything was running smoothly. The people in attendance seemed to be enjoying themselves thus far. It was the night of the Justice League Foundation Charity Ball.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Bruce Wayne. I thought I wouldn't see you here."

It took a great deal of self-control for Bruce to school his features into polite confusion. "I never miss a good party. And besides, my fiancée is directly involved with this one. I don't think we've met, Mister…"

"Oh, so that's how you want to play it, huh?"

Bruce merely lifted an eyebrow.

"Trevor. Colonel Stephen Trevor," he offered his hand for a shake. Bruce was sorely tempted to punch the insolent smirk off of Steve's face. He could almost feel his fist make crunching contact with the government agent's nose. "But you may call me Steve."

"Ah, Colonel Trevor," Bruce was pleased that Steve winced from his grip. "It is good to finally have a face to go with the name. Diana has told me so much about you."

Steve plucked two drinks from a passing waiter's tray and offered one to Bruce. "All good, I hope?"

"Of course," Bruce replied blandly as he accepted the proffered drink and leaned a shoulder against one of the many pillars that surrounded the hall.

"I'm surprised to see _you_ here," Steve gave him a conspiratorial wink. "I really thought you'd be wearing your _other suit_ tonight."

Bruce's fingers flexed over the stem of his champagne glass as he pretended to take a sip. _Now, if only this was his neck_… he thought wryly.

"You mean the Hugo Boss I wore to the Stagg's party last week?" The look he gave Steve was a miracle of appalled astonishment. "Alfred, my butler, would _never_ allow me to wear the same suit twice – especially if I was photographed in it. We wouldn't want people to think I have a pathetically limited wardrobe now, would we? And besides," Bruce smiled urbanely. "I personally prefer Armani."

The lights dimmed and Steve's reply was drowned out as an orchestral anthem filled the air. Everybody focused their attention on the stage. A huge screen lit up and clips of news footage of the Justice League fighting super villains and averting other forms of disaster flashed through the screen. The audience broke out into applause and cheers as they watched the Justice League in action. As the final notes of the music faded away, the amplified voice of the emcee reverberated dramatically through the hall. "Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the founding members of the Justice League!"

Swirls of light and molecules filled the stage as the seven founding members materialized on it. Steve's jaw dropped in disbelief as he saw the unmistakable Kevlar-titanium clad figure standing on Superman's left. His confused gaze flew back and forth from Batman to Bruce. "Why, I'll be damned… What the flipping hell is going on? I thought you were… I thought he was…"

Bruce discreetly observed Steve out of the corner of his eye. He could not hear Steve's words over the clapping and enthusiastic cheers but he had long ago mastered the art of lip reading. _Try figuring that out, you smug sonofagun_, Bruce gloated silently. His paranoia dictated that Steve had suspicions about the identity of the man behind the cowl. Apparently, he was right. The only solution, obviously, was for Steve to see Bruce and Batman in the same place, at the same time. Somebody had to wear the mantle of the Bat. Naturally, Dick Grayson had to be the one to do it. It was not the first time that Dick masqueraded as Batman but Bruce had had to part with his Ducati before Dick would agree to his plan. The look on Steve's face was well worth it.

After the emcee formally introduced the founding members one by one, Superman began his opening speech. _I told you to keep it short and simple, Clark_, Bruce mentally rolled his eyes. His best friend did have an inclination to drone on and on and on. _Best friend_, Bruce nearly snorted. It would probably take more than the threat of eternal torture before he admitted that the Boy Scout was _that_ close to him.

"And finally," Superman wrapped up his speech. "The Justice League would like to thank our liaison, Colonel Stephen Trevor. Without his suggestion, this event would have taken a long time in coming. And of course, we also would like to express our appreciation to Gotham's very own, Mr. Bruce Wayne, for making it possible for the Justice League Foundation to be a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises."

A spotlight swiveled around, focusing on the two men and camera flashes went off as media personnel took pictures of Bruce and Steve. Bruce flashed his trademark thousand-kilowatt smile and raised his champagne glass to the heroes on stage, his gaze lingering on Wonder Woman. Steve, unused to the glitz and glamor, blinked and squinted against the blinding lights. Albeit the similarity in height, build and eye color, people could clearly see the disparity between the two men. Where one was the poster boy of a golden-haired, charming but rough-around-the-edges American soldier turned government agent, the other exuded the charisma and suave sophistication that can only be carried off by one born into a life of opulence and prestige.

"Thank you for that heartwarming speech, Superman," the emcee beamed at the Last Son of Krypton. "Wonder Woman, if you would be so kind, can you please tell our audience what's in store for them tonight?"

"Certainly," Diana nodded. "Tonight, my colleagues and I will be auctioning ourselves off. The highest bidders get to have dinner with the Leaguer of their choice at the Michelin-starred La Plata de Nada. Apart from that, each Leaguer and our generous sponsors have added special freebies. Superman will personally give a tour of the Metrotower to his highest bidder and he or she gets custom-made eyewear with a Superman logo from Warby Parker. Batman has graciously offered to take his highest bidder on a spin around Gotham City in his Batmobile. General Motors will also provide a scaled down model of the Batmobile for the lucky winner to take home. Our resident speedster's highest bidder gets to appear in an ad campaign with the Flash for Lightspeed Energy Bars. The Green Lantern will…"

Excited murmurs circulated through the crowd as Diana continued to describe the prizes at stake. "And as for me," she smiled. "I will take the generous bidder on a ride on my invisible jet and he or she gets free drinks at Starbucks for one year."

"Those prizes are absolutely amazing, Wonder Woman!" the emcee enthused. "Tell us, Batman. Are you excited over tonight's event?"

The Caped Crusader turned towards the emcee with a deadpan look. The emcee's eyes widened and his Adam's apple moved up and down as he gulped in fear. A frightened hush settled over the audience lasting for what seemed like hours until Batman finally answered the question in a gravelly voice dripping with menace.

"Thrilled."

"Well, I – uh… um…" the emcee stammered.

"Perhaps we should get started?" Superman intervened, giving Batman a warning look.

"Yes! Yes, of course, Superman!" agreed the flustered emcee. "Let the auction begin!"

* * *

"Sold to Lois Lane for $225,000!"

Lois made her way to the stage to stand beside Superman. As the twosome smiled for the cameras, Lois muttered under her breath. "Seriously, Clark. Even if Perry said that the Planet is willing to shoulder a big part of the ridiculous expense, you have made a serious dent on my life savings. But there's no way on earth I'm going to let that annoying carrot-top go on a dinner date with you."

"Lois, that snarl will not look good in the pictures. You know that Lana and I are just very good friends."

"Too good for comfort." Lois bared her teeth in what was supposed to be a congenial smile.

"Jealousy does not become you, Lois," Clark teased, putting an arm around her.

"I am not jealous!" Lois whispered, her violet eyes flashing indignantly.

"Territorial, then."

"Just shut up and smile for the camera, Smallville."

* * *

"And now for Wonder Woman!" The auctioneer announced. Bruce watched Diana stepped forward as Lois and Clark walked off the stage. "Bidding starts at $1,000!"

Bruce gritted his teeth as the bidding began. Steve's hand immediately went up. Although Bruce knew that the ex-pilot would definitely make a bid, he was still unable to stop his frown.

"I hope you don't mind?" Steve smiled at him cheekily. "It's for a good cause."

Bruce made a blasé gesture. "Knock yourself out, Colonel," he coolly replied. In an effort to prevent himself from punching the living daylights out of Steve, he looked around the room to see who were bidding for the Amazon Princess. He knew Diana would be popular, of course. As he expected, a good part of the bidders were representatives from modeling agencies and fashion designers. Naturally, he also anticipated that many men would bid for her as well; he even prepped himself mentally against the annoyance that he knew he would feel once the men started bidding. What mildly surprised him was the number of women who were bidding along side the men.

_When you're in love with a beautiful woman, you know it's hard_

'_Cause everybody wants her, everybody loves her_

_Everybody wants to take your baby home…_

"Fifteen thousand dollars!" Steve yelled.

Bruce quelled the urge to lash out with a roundhouse kick. _He's provoking me on purpose, I'm sure_, he thought crossly. The auctioneer goaded the audience and the bidding went higher and higher until finally, Bruce gave in to the impulse to put Steve in his place.

"Fifty thousand dollars!" Bruce called out.

Steve gave him an uncertain frown. "Fifty-five!"

"One hundred twenty thousand dollars," Bruce drawled. Several of his so-called socialite friends snickered.

"A hundred and fifty!" Theodore 'Ted' Kord exclaimed. Ted was the son of Thomas Kord, the founder of Kord Omniversal Research and Development, Inc. of Chicago. When Ted's mother passed away, his father neglected Kord Omniversal, letting it become a shell of its former self. Ted had taken the reigns and revitalized the company, building it up until it rivaled S.T.A.R. Labs. Ted had a little secret though. Just like Bruce, Ted lived a dual life. He also operated under the superhero alias of the Blue Beetle. "Don't hog her all to yourself, Wayne," Ted teased. "You're engaged to her!"

Bruce rolled his eyes at his friend. "Two hundred."

"For a goddess like her?" Rick Tyler chuckled. "Two hundred seventy five!" Rick was the son of Rex Tyler, the owner of Tyler Chemicals, based in New York.

"Do I hear $300,000? Three hundred thousand for a night with Wonder Woman!" The auctioneer looked at Bruce expectantly to see if he wanted to top the current bid. Bruce took a quick glance at Diana. Her cheeks were flaming with embarrassment. She gave him a near imperceptible shake of her head. He gave her a playful wink. _Rick's a good guy who'll keep his hands to himself during his date with Diana_, Bruce thought with satisfaction. _I can stand to lose to him._ He shook his head at the auctioneer, signaling that he was dropping out of the bid.

"Three hundred thousand!"

Bruce's gaze flew to Diana's highest bidder. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw who it was. Or rather, who they were.

"Sold to Dolce & Gabbana for $300,000!" the auctioneer exclaimed, pounding his gavel gleefully.

_When you're in love with a beautiful woman, you know it's hard_

'_Cause everybody tempts her, everybody tells her_

_She's the most beautiful woman they know_

* * *

"Uh, Batman… Sir. If you would please step forward?" the auctioneer asked nervously. "It's your turn."

A hush fell over the crowd as the Dark Knight of Gotham stepped forward.

"Well… Uhh…" the auctioneer cleared his throat. "Bidding starts at $1,000… Anyone?"

Batman's hooded gaze swept over the audience as if daring them to make a bid. The hall was more silent than a tomb.

"Uh… Come on, guys," the auctioneer coaxed half-heartedly. "You get to ride on the Batmobile… And besides, it's for a good cause…"

"Ten thousand dollars," a sultry voice called out.

A collective gasp erupted from the audience and heads turned trying to locate who in their right mind would bid dare bid for Batman.

_Selina?_ Bruce's eyes widened in disbelief. It had been awhile since he last saw her. _Trust her to get into an 'Invite Only' affair_, he thought with wry but fond smile. The wheels in his brain went into hyper drive trying to deduce what brought the enigmatic cat burglar back to Gotham.

The proverbial dam broke with Selina's opening bid. Hands rose tentatively and people started bidding on the scowling Batman. Bruce still preferred that his Batman persona be a non-participant in this gala but it truly was for a good cause so he did not put up too much of an argument. Considering Batman's reputation, Bruce honestly did not think that his alter ego would garner many bids, if at all. However, in the event that somebody was foolish enough to make a bid, he of course had a contingency plan in place. When Diana broached the topic of the charity auction, Bruce knew immediately who he wanted to win. All it took was a phone call. Bruce looked around, pretending to be amused at the bidders. But inside, he was beginning to worry. _Blast it, where is he?_ The one who was supposed to be his highest bidder was nowhere to be found.

* * *

"Wow," Clark gave a low whistle. "I never realized that Batman was this popular with the ladies." The bidding had reached the $200,000 mark. "What is it about the bad boy image that women find so attractive?"

"Who are these women, Kal?" Diana whispered, lips barely moving. It paid to have a best friend with superhuman hearing. It took a great deal of effort not to frown. _Get a grip, Diana,_ she chided herself. _They're not bidding for Bruce_. She had to keep reminding herself that it was Dick wearing the Batsuit and not her fiancé. _But still_, Diana thought. _Bruce is Batman; Batman is Bruce no matter who wears the cape and cowl._ Her dark tresses cascaded around her shoulders gracefully as she shook her head in annoyance. She could not decide if she was annoyed with the women bidders or annoyed at her self for being annoyed.

Clark lifted his powerful shoulders in a small shrug. "Socialites."

"Two ten!"

"Two twenty-five!"

"Especially that one over there, Kal," Diana tipped her head towards Selina. "She seems hell bent on winning a date with Batman."

Clark swallowed nervously. "Uh, I think it's best if he be the one to answer you, Di."

Diana gave him a curious glance. "What are you not telling me, Kal?"

The near invulnerable Man of Steel could only give the Amazon Princess a weak smile in reply.

* * *

_Blast it, where is he?_ Bruce was tempted to start bidding for Batman.

"Two fifty," Selina smiled at the auctioneer.

"Three hundred thousand dollars!"

Bruce suppressed a sigh of relief when he heard the small voice pipe up. He turned around to see a 13-year old boy flanked by two well-muscled guys enter the auction hall. Hiro Okamura was a mechanical genius from Japan and was undoubtedly the richest and the smartest kid on the planet. He was an expert engineer who specialized in physics, robotics, cybernetics, genetics, weapons technology, biochemistry and computer programming. Nearly a year ago, Hiro helped both Batman and Superman on a mission to destroy a large Kryptonite meteor that threatened Earth. With a severe case of hero worship, the youngster had built a composite Batman-Superman robot, which Batman used to destroy the Kryptonite meteor. Their 'relationship' did not end there. Unbeknownst to most, Hiro actually provided Batman with various technological implements every now and again. Suffice to say, it did not take much for Batman to convince Hiro to enter the bid for a night with the Caped Crusader.

"Three ten," Selina challenged.

"Four hundred," the dark haired teenager said. The other bidders winced and dropped out of the bidding altogether.

"Five hundred," Selina's eyes glittered dangerously.

_What game are you playing, Selina?_ Bruce knew that Hiro Okamura's net worth was more than his own when he was Hiro's age, but Hiro might not be expecting to spend more than half a million just for a spin around Gotham in the Batmobile. _Looks like I might have to make a bid, after all,_ Bruce thought sheepishly.

"One million dollars," Hiro replied with a cheeky smile. Silence reigned supreme as every body stared in astonishment at the young man.

The auctioneer recovered first. "Sold for $1,000,000!"

On stage, Batman nodded curtly at Hiro, fired his grapple into the air and melded into the shadowy rafters, leaving behind the uproarious cheers of the crowd.

* * *

"You were just seeing how far I would go, didn't you?" Steve told him accusingly.

Bruce smiled at him blandly. "It was only a matter of time before the bidding went way above your pay grade, Colonel Trevor. Fortunately for you, Diana, _my fiancée_, made me promise to allow other people to win, to give others the chance to know her," his mild tone belied the threatening glint in his eye. "A word of advice though, don't play with the big boys if you can't afford it."

"Really, Bruce," a throaty laugh interrupted the glaring match between the two men. "Who would have thought being engaged would make you so… catty?"

"Selina Kyle," Bruce turned around.

"In the flesh," Selina smiled.

Bruce looked at her pointedly up and down. "I can see that." The green-eyed brunette daringly displayed more than an ample amount of décolletage in a form fitting knee length black dress. It had a corset not only possessing a built-in bra but a keyhole cut out on the chest as well.

"And do you like what you see?" Selina raised an eyebrow.

Bruce made a noncommittal sound. "I'm pretty sure, Colonel Trevor does. Selina, meet Steve Trevor. Colonel Trevor, this is an old friend of mine, Selina Kyle."

"Charmed," Steve smiled as he took Selina's hand.

"Of course," Selina replied demurely.

Bruce spied Diana making her way towards them. Trying to avert a potentially awkward scenario, he made a move to disengage himself from the other two. "If you both would be so kind as to excuse me…"

Unfortunately, he was not fast enough. Selina's hand shot forward and gripped his arm. Hard. "What's the hurry, Bruce?" she asked slyly. "Surely you can spare more time to catch up with an 'old friend?'"

The corners of Bruce's eyes tightened slightly as he stared at Selina. He mentally cursed her for putting him on the spot. He subtly took a slow, controlled breath and forced himself to appear outwardly relaxed. Diana was just a couple of steps away now. Plastering an idiotic smile on his face, he opened his arms towards Diana.

"Diana!" he said. "Come meet a friend of mine, darling."

Diana looked at him uncertainly as she stepped into his arms for a brief hug.

"This is Selina Kyle," Bruce continued with the introductions, keeping an arm around Diana's waist. "Selina, I'm proud to introduce to you _my fiancée_, Her Royal Highness, Princess Diana of Themyscira – Wonder Woman."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Ms. Kyle," Diana greeted her warmly.

Selina looked at Diana pointedly from head to foot. "The pleasure is mine, Your Highness."

"Please, call me Diana," Diana said. "Bruce does go overboard with the introductions sometimes."

"And you may call me Selina," Selina's lips twitched in an amused smile.

Diana nodded amiably. "So, Selina, how long have you known Bruce?"

"Oh, Bruce and I go a long way back, Diana," Selina answered. "You can say that we… explored… Gotham's nightlife together. Didn't we, Bruce?" She turned a meaningful gaze to Bruce.

"Looks like you'll never outrun your playboy days, Wayne," Steve chuckled.

Playing the part of a dimwit, Bruce rolled his eyes. His patience was wearing thin. He didn't know who to strangle first, Selina or Steve. Judging from the look on Diana's face, he knew that there would be questions later. _Damn you, Selina. Damn you._ He needed to get himself and Diana out. Now. "Well, now that everybody's acquainted, my fiancée and I have other plans for the evening."

"We do?" Diana asked.

"We do," Bruce nodded firmly. "Enjoy the rest of the evening, Selina, Colonel Trevor" With a final nod, he steered Diana away from the irritating pair.

* * *

As soon as he entered his hotel room, Steve Trevor yanked his tie from his neck and tossed it onto a chair. The charity ball did not go according to his plan. It had been a complete disaster. For him anyway. He had been so sure that Batman was…

"Stay away from her."

Driven by instincts trained and honed by the US Armed Forces, Steve drew his 9mm Beretta from a concealed holster on his low back and in one smooth motion, whirled around towards the direction of the voice. Even before he saw the dark form perched on the balcony railing, he already knew who was paying him a nocturnal visit.

_Think of the devil and Batman appears_, he thought. "Do you take pleasure in invading other people's privacy?" He kept his pistol trained at Gotham City's most feared vigilante.

"Stay away from her," Batman repeated.

"Or what?" _I'll be damned if I show him that he can intimidate me_, he thought. "I reckon you gave Bruce Wayne a similar visit. And from the looks of it, he did not listen to you."

"Better him than you. Heed my warning, Trevor. I've got my eyes on you."


	5. Chapter 5

_A little bit of BMWW fluff, a little bit of ground work for the incoming chapters, a little bit of flashback action and... wait for it... wait for it... **BRULINA**!_

_Used two songs: "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga (a very **BruLina** song! Don't you just love the word?! **BruLina**! Salute to editlady617 for making it up! She made me choke on my coffee when I read it LoL) and "Rumor Has It" by Adele. Also used Catwoman quotes (DCwiki) which I think were appropriate for the scene I made up. And I do apologize to any Catwoman fans out there... I'm just not too fond of her and it shows LoL!_

_As always, thank you for reading and following this story :) And much gratitude to my regular reviewers and PM chat buddies! Special mention to **editlady617**. Without her, bits and pieces of this chapter would not come out right! Mwahugs, editlady! _

_And oh! There's a petition going around for a BMWW movie! Please sign! I already did! Who knows? Maybe DC will listen *crosses fingers* the address is: 3w's dot gopetition dot com slash petitions/put-batman-and-wonder-woman-together dot html. Alternatively, you can just google "Put Batman and Wonder Woman Together." The petition was published by Aria Isaac. The last time I checked, it had 42 signatures. We need more, more, more!_

* * *

**It's Complicated**

"Where are we going, Bruce?" Diana demanded in a whisper as Bruce virtually dragged her through the hotel lobby. "It's too early for patrol."

"It is," Bruce agreed. "But I thought we'd better start seriously researching about your gods so I'll have a better idea on what to expect during the trials."

Diana arched an eyebrow. "Research? You don't need to research. What the world has recorded are mostly inaccurate assumptions. I can just tell you all about them."

"And you will," Bruce nodded. "I want to begin tonight."

"Really?" Diana gave him a knowing look. "All this rushing about has nothing to do with Selina, right?"

"Going home so early, sir?" Alfred asked as he opened the limousine door for the Diana. Bruce just grunted a reply as he followed Diana in.

"Well?" Diana prodded, crossing her arms and legs. The city lights flashed by as Alfred drove towards Wayne Manor.

"You have a lot to tell me," Bruce said, deliberately misunderstanding her. "You can start with Zeus."

"Or _you_ can start with Selina," Diana told him in a no-nonsense tone.

"Selina is just an old friend, Diana."

Alfred glanced at the rear-view mirror and cleared his throat.

"Don't start, Alfred," Bruce warned.

"Just something in my throat, Master Bruce. The weather has been quite chilly lately. I must be catching a cold."

Bruce snorted. "Yeah, right."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you are edgy… almost nervous and defensive," Diana observed. "Who is she to you, Bruce?"

Bruce sighed, pressing his lips into a thin line. "She's Catwoman."

"Catwoman?" Diana gave him a confused frown.

"She is one of Gotham's… costumed adventurers. Another… dark creature… that prowls the night."

"Unless she's allied with the Joker or any other criminal elements, that fact does not merit us speeding away from the charity gala like Cerberus was after us," Diana stated flatly.

"That's the thing with Selina," Bruce explained. "She's had her stint at being both a hero and a villain. She's not in league with any villain group per se, or with any superhero group for that matter. She usually works alone or allies herself with whoever serves her purpose at any given situation, at any given time. Selina has her own moral code and has always been a grey area to me. "

Bruce proceeded to tell Diana about Selina's early history; how when Selina was a young girl, her brutalized mother committed suicide and her violent father drank himself to death soon after; how Selina got separated from her younger sister and got sent to an abusive state home for juvenile delinquents; how she started out as a thief and as an enemy of Batman; and how she, from time to time, was actually an ally. "But despite her rather ambiguous status as a hero or villain, she worked hard to protect Gotham, especially the East End, until the day she disappeared without a trace," Bruce finished.

Diana's features softened as she heard Selina's story. "That's so sad. It's almost like she's a female version of you – of Batman."

"I suppose you can say that," Bruce grimaced.

"Maybe we should ask her to join the Justice League," Diana suggested.

"No!"

Diana blinked in surprise at Bruce's emphatic reaction. "But Bruce, she sounds so lost and confused to me. The League can help guide her towards what is right and what is good."

"It's a little bit more complicated than that, Princess," Bruce said.

"I don't see why it should be," Diana told him, lifting a shoulder in a slight shrug. "With the way you describe her, she can be an asset to the League. She just needs proper guidance, that's all."

"A leopard can't change its spots," Bruce quoted.

"Don't be ridiculous," Diana argued. "Anybody can change for the better. You did, why can't she?"

"She is not joining the League. I won't allow it. End of story," he told her in a tone that brooked no argument.

Alfred ostentatiously cleared his throat once again.

Bruce reached for a button on the control panel beside him and pressed it. "Meddlesome old man," Bruce muttered. Diana was almost sure that she saw a telltale smirk on the elderly butler's face before a partition went up between them.

"What is it, then?" Diana asked.

_Here goes nothing_, he thought. _This confiding business needs a little bit of getting used to. _Bruce took a deep breath. _The things I do for love._ "Selina and I had a thing…"

"A thing?" Diana's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What thing?"

"You know," Bruce shifted in his seat. "A thing - moments. We had our moments."

"Moments," Diana repeated flatly.

"Had, Diana. _Had_," he emphasized.

"Explain."

"I'm really not good at this," Bruce hedged.

"Just try your very best, Bruce. We can always use the lasso, if you want."

"I am only a man, Diana."

"I am well aware of that."

Bruce leaned his head back against his seat and closed his eyes. "And sometimes… a man has… _needs_ – even somebody like Batman. She was not a girlfriend _exactly_… I mean… she _could have_ been… but then again, maybe not really… she was just _there_… and there were times when…"

"You're right. You're no good at this. You're rambling, Bruce," Diana's eyes danced in merriment, amused at his obvious discomfiture.

He opened his eyes and scowled at her. "Damn it, Diana! Do I really have to describe it?!"

"Oh, for the love of all the Olympians, Bruce! If you had sex with her then just come out straight and say it!" Diana told him, exasperated.

Bruce's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "And you're okay with that?"

"Well, no," Diana answered truthfully. "I'm not _exactly_ okay with it. I am not a veteran in relationships, but if you give me your word that this _thing_ you have with her is in the past, then I trust you. I have nothing to worry about, do I?"

"No," Bruce was quick to reassure her. "For my part, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. And if she ever does something, I'll deal with it." He reached out to take her hand in his. "Selina and I have a history together, that's true. But it was never really well defined. It wasn't exactly official. It wasn't like… like what you and I now have. Far from it."

"Do you love her?" Diana asked him silently.

"I'm marrying you, am I not?" He pulled her into his arms and planted a kiss on top of her head. "That's all that matters now."

Diana nodded against his chest but she did not fail to notice that Bruce evaded answering the question. Reading between the lines, she might not need to worry about Bruce's loyalty but there's no telling what Selina might have up her sleeve. _I'm becoming as paranoid as Bruce,_ she told herself wryly. Her Amazon nature wanted to get this issue over and done with, right here and right now. But a small voice of wisdom told her to proceed with caution and to take it slow with Bruce. She could see that most of the time, it was still a struggle for him to open up to her. _Perhaps this is not the right time to delve deeper into this. He has never been the bare-my-heart-and-soul-to-you type,_ she reminded herself. _ It should be enough… for now._

The limousine came to a stop signaling that they were finally home. Diana disentangled herself reluctantly from Bruce's embrace when Alfred opened the door for them to disembark from the vehicle.

"Thank you, Alfred," she said.

"You're welcome, Miss Diana," Alfred replied. "I trust that there will be no cancellation of wedding plans?"

Diana chuckled when she saw Bruce scowl. "No cancellations, Alfred. The wedding is still on."

"One cannot begin to describe how happy I am to hear that," Alfred told her drolly. "This meddlesome old man's heart can only take so much drama."

* * *

Diana perched her hip on the console of the massive Batcomputer as she watched Bruce put on his gauntlets.

"So, here's the plan," Bruce said in a brisk, business-like voice. He walked over to her. "You need to sift through the Internet and tell me which of the information you find are accurate and which ones are not. And you will tell me – "

"What other pertinent information I might be able to remember," Diana interrupted impatiently. "I know, Bruce. I heard you right the first time."

Bruce stopped a few inches in front of her and looked down on her upturned face. "Stop frowning," Diana reached up and smoothed his brows with her thumb and index finger.

"I didn't know I was," Bruce gave her a little smile.

"And don't worry too much," she told him. "I promise to tell you all there is to know about the Olympians. Or at least what I know of them."

Bruce cradled her perfect face in his hands, staring at her intently. "I just want to be prepared, Princess. There is too much at stake and we both know I can't afford to lose." _I can't afford to lose you,_ he added silently.

"You won't," Diana said with utmost confidence. She leaned forward and kissed him tenderly on the lips. Bruce's arms snaked around her, bringing her closer to him as he deepened the kiss. Diana clutched his arms tightly and welcomed his foray into her mouth. When Bruce ground her hips against his, she lost her balance and fell against the computer's console, moaning softly from the delicious feel of Bruce's hard body on top of hers.

"I better go before this kiss turns into something else," Bruce dragged his lips from hers, breaking off the kiss. "Later, Princess," he winked at her, squeezing her waist meaningfully.

"It's still a little bit early, you know." The corner of Diana's mouth curled up demurely.

Bruce threw his head back, his laughter echoing through the cave. "There you go again, trying to seduce me, you little minx."

"You sound so happy when you laugh," Diana told him softly. "I like it."

"I like it, too," he chucked her playfully under the chin. "And it's all because of a certain infuriatingly stubborn Amazon who never gave up on me."

Diana slid her hands up his chest, reached for the lead-lined cowl behind him and brought it down over his head and half of his face. The cowl's memory-weave pattern conformed to to his head like second skin. A hand lingered on his chiseled jaw while the other reached for a hidden button on his utility belt and pressed it, activating the suit's security system. Whoever attempted to take off the cowl or the belt without first disarming the suit will have an electrifying surprise in store for them.

"This must be so hot," she remarked. Diana can't imagine fighting crime in what seemed to be such a restrictive armor.

"Is it, now?" Bruce smirked. "Probably why all those women were so eager to bid for Batman."

"I'm quite certain they were attracted to your cheerful disposition." Diana stuck out her tongue at him. "Go, then. But come back to me alive and in one piece, my Dark Knight."

"By your command, Princess. So shall I obey."

* * *

Batman stood beside his favorite gargoyle. He propped his foot on the ledge and placed an elbow on his knee as he leaned forward to survey the streets below. It had been on this exact same building where he first tried to discourage Wonder Woman's advances. Batman almost never smiled but his lips twitched fondly at the memory.

_ "Don't you ever wish you were down there?" Diana asked, looking down at a couple coming out from the theater._

_ "I'm down there all I need to be," Batman replied curtly._

_ "Yes, but it's just a job to you," she pointed out. "I'm talking about going down there and having some fun. Maybe… maybe with someone special." She glanced at him shyly as she tucked a stray lock of raven colored hair behind her ear. _

_ Batman studiously ignored her._

_ "No," she said with an almost resigned smile, leaning her elbow against a gargoyle and rested her head on her hand. "No dating for the Batman. It might cut into your brooding time."_

_ He turned and looked her straight in the eye. "One: Dating within the team always leads to disaster," he tried to sound as convincing as he could. "Two: You're a princess from a society of immortal warriors. I'm a rich kid with issues – lots of issues. And three: If my enemies knew that I had someone special, they wouldn't rest until they'd gotten to me through her."_

He remembered that conversation like it only happened yesterday and yet… it felt like it happened a lifetime ago. He chuckled softly as he looked at the gargoyle that lost its head under Diana's powerful grasp. Hindsight made him realize just how many holes his line of reasoning had had.

_One: Dating within the team always leads to disaster_. But not when both parties were tenaciously dedicated to the same cause. Not when both would not hesitate to do what needed to be done. Not when Diana understood the reason behind his endless crusade to protect the innocent. What's more, if he was to be honest, he really was thinking of John and Shayera at that time. But looking at those two now...

_Two: You're a princess from a society of immortal warriors. I'm a rich kid with issues – lots of issues._ He had learned this lesson the hard way when Diana got shot; a princess from a society of _near_ immortal warriors. He still cringed at the thought of her dying. True, he did have more than enough issues to fill the entire east wing of Wayne Manor... but if she had died on that pivotal night, his 'rich kid issues' would have been swept away by a newer and bigger issue: the guilt and the pain of not knowing what it would have been like to be with Diana. Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. _Geez,_ he thought sheepishly. _The woman has me quoting Tennyson! _This line of reasoning was his twisted version of "We're from different worlds" and as such would never mesh well together. But Diana had been stubborn enough to show him that they _could_ work. She had literally shown him through her deepest fantasies.

_Three: If my enemies knew that I had someone special, they wouldn't rest until they'd gotten to me through her._ He still struggled with this one until now. He could not bear it if she got hurt because of him. But then again, she risked her life every day – Batman or no Batman. And she has proven time and again that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. _Well, maybe not all the time… as evidenced by what happened at Crime Alley… Sure, there's no question that she can stand up to Bane strength for brute strength but maybe she's not ready for the Joker's devious brand of psychological warfare… Stop it,_ he berated himself. _She's warrior-born, for crying out loud, one of the best combatants I have ever seen and gifted with a goddess' wisdom besides. _

_And woe to anyone who even thinks of trying to harm her or take her away from me,_ Batman thought fiercely. Right before patrol, he had made a brief detour over to Trevor's hotel room and warned him off. He shouldn't have done it, really. It could potentially ruin Batman's reputation of having cold reserve but then again, when he considered it, Bruce Wayne's 'warning' may not have been enough for Trevor to completely back off. However, if Trevor got the idea that Diana had a near psychotic, stalker-type ex-boyfriend… Well, the end justified the means.

Bruce gave himself a mental shake. _Enough of this sentimental line of thinking_, he told himself sternly. _Focus, Bruce. Focus._ He tapped his earpiece, activating his com-link.

"Batman to Wonder Woman."

"Wonder Woman here. Go ahead, Batman."

"Progress report on the gods."

"Copy that, Batman. Shall I start with Zeus?"

Bruce nodded to himself, recalling what he already knew about the King of Olympus. "The prolific god of the sky and the ruler of the Olympian gods; overthrew his father Chronos; drew lots with his brothers Poseidon and Hades on who gets to be the supreme ruler of the gods. Let's skip the basics, Princess. Tell me something interesting."

"Heracles and Athena are his favorites," Diana told him after a thoughtful pause.

"Any particular reason why?"

"I believe it's because amongst all the other gods and goddesses, Heracles and Athena are the embodiments of the values that Zeus holds dear," Diana replied.

"And those would be?"

"Strength, courage and justice," she answered automatically. "Symbolized by the golden eagle." Diana continued to tell Bruce about Zeus; how he sometimes disguised himself as a middle-aged man with strong muscular arms with a full beard or a mustache; how he turned Periphas into an eagle as a reward for being righteous and just; how he punished Pandareus by turning him into stone for stealing the golden dog which had guarded Zeus as an infant in the holy Dicataeon Cave of Crete.

Bruce kept on interrogating Diana about Zeus and the other Olympians while his ever-watchful gaze roved over the streets of Gotham. His keen mind carefully dissected and filed away the information she provided for future use.

"Oh, and did you know that Hermes is not just the messenger of the gods?" Diana asked. "He is also the god of trade _and_ thieves. He likes athletic contests, gymnasiums, astronomy and –"

The barest whisper of a stealthy footstep fell on Bruce's ear. "Diana," he interrupted, keeping his voice very low, his lips barely moving. "Something's up. Continue your research. I'll check in later."

"Batman, wait! What is it?" he could hear a tinge of worry in her voice.

"Batman, out." With a discreet flip of a finger, he turned off his com-link.

* * *

"Batman?" Diana called out, frantically. "Bruce? Bruce!"

She took a deep, calming breath, consciously relaxing her balled up fists. It irked her every time Bruce pulled something abrupt like this. Her first reaction had been to rush out to his last known coordinates. Diana drummed her fingers indecisively on the keyboard. Bruce would absolutely hate it if she went after him.

"I don't want metas in my city, Princess," Diana mimicked Batman's growl. As if he was not about to marry one… But she understood why. _He worked so hard all his life to establish his… what did Wally call it again?_ Diana frowned trying to recall. _Ahh, his 'bad ass' reputation. _It was a major part of Batman's modus operandi to frighten and intimidate criminals into doing his bidding. And he has been, for the most part, successful. So much so that there were those who were not afraid of Superman, the most powerful superhero the earth has ever known, but were totally, absolutely, completely fearful of crossing Batman's shadow. Batman was so adept at inciting fear that Diana would not be surprised if he would be able to control the yellow power ring of Sinestro Corps. But then again, his willpower was so strong that it _was_ a surprise that a Green Lantern power ring had not found its way onto his finger.

_He worked hard to become what he is because he wants to serve not just the people of Gotham but the entire human race and I will not be the one to ruin his image for him_, Diana resolved.

But her gut instinct told her that something important was up. _What if he got incapacitated and was unable to call for help?_ She chewed her lip, lost in thought.

_Five minutes_, she finally decided. _If he doesn't contact me in five minutes, I'll go after him…. Just to check. I'll stay high up in the sky. That way, if it's not that serious a matter, I can slip away easily without anyone noticing._

* * *

Bruce stood stock still not wanting to alert the person trying to sneak up on him. His nose caught a subtle whiff of perfume – a mix of exotic musk and sweet floral scent. He straightened, gathering his cape around him. "What are you doing here?" he turned around slowly.

Selina, clad in her full Catwoman regalia, stepped out from the shadows. She chuckled as she walked up to him. "It's not a crime to say hi to an 'old friend,' is it?"

"What do you want?"

"Really, Batman," Bruce flinched as she traced a finger down the side of his face. "I thought you'd have it figured out by now."

_I want your ugly, I want your disease_  
_I want your everything as long as it's free_  
_I want your love_

"I don't have the desire to play your cat and mouse games any more, Selina," he told her curtly and took a step back away from her.

"Aw, you're no fun," she teased. She tilted her head to the side, looking at him from under her lashes.

"Again, what do you want?" Bruce repeated, his eyes narrowing impatiently behind the white lenses of his cowl. He pulled himself up straighter, widening his shoulders into a more menacing stance.

"Oh, do stop looming at me like I'm some sort of a criminal that you're trying to intimidate!" Selina crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine! I want to tell you that you're making a mistake. You can't marry her, Bruce. She's wrong for you."

_I want your drama, the touch of your hand  
I want your leather-studded kiss in the sand  
I want your love_

"And who are you to tell me that?" Bruce asked her pointedly.

"Ouch. That was harsh," Selina pouted. "You're marrying her just to spite me, aren't you? I know I should've told you that I was going away. It was just something that I had to do. I thought you would understand. I thought you'd know that I would come back. No matter where I go, I _always_ come back."

"I understand that you're a free spirit, Selina. You value your independence and I respect that. But I'm marrying Diana because I love her," he told her simply.

"Like the way you love me?" she asked archly.

Bruce sighed. "Don't make me do this, Selina."

"You bet your sweet, pointy little ears that I'm not gonna allow you to make the mistake of marrying her!"

_She, she ain't real  
She ain't gonna be able to love you like I will  
She is a stranger  
You and I have history or don't you remember?  
Sure, she's got it all but baby is that really what you want?_

"Don't make me hurt you more than is necessary," Bruce clarified, massaging his temples. "I might have loved you once upon a time."

"Might?" Selina stared at him in disbelief. "Look at you! This is not you, Bruce! You've gone soft!"

_Bless your soul, you got your head in the clouds  
She made a fool out of you and boy, she's bringing you down  
She made your heart melt, but you're cold to the core  
But rumor has it she's the one you're leaving me for_

"This _is_ me, Selina," Bruce told her. "Bruce. Just Bruce."

"We both know that Bruce Wayne is the mask and not the Bat," Selina argued. "I _know_ you, Bruce. I accept the _real_ you. I _love_ the real you."

Bruce shook his head sadly. "No, Selina. You love _this_," he tapped the Batman insignia on his chest with his forefinger. "Diana loves _me_. _All of me_."

"Then, she doesn't know you at all, does she?" She retorted scornfully. She placed her hand over the insignia. "You _are_ this. Or have you forgotten? You are vengeance. You are the night. _You are Batman_."

"Kiss me then tell me you don't love me," Selina challenged.

"Selina…"

"Afraid, Bruce?" she taunted. "Afraid of what I might make you feel?"

"Don't do this, Selina," he said in a soft voice laden with warning.

"Do what? This?" with the swiftness and agility of the animal that she named herself after, Selina grabbed Bruce by the nape and pressed her lips insistently against his.

_You know that I want you, you know that I need you  
I want it bad, your bad romance  
I want your love, I don't wanna be friends  
You and me could write a bad romance...  
Caught in a bad romance..._

Bruce froze as her kiss catapulted him back to the time when he met her. With crystal-clear clarity, he remembered every single detail of every single moment that he shared with her. The titillating flirtation, the adrenalin rush of competition, the fiery passion... and… the disappointment, the frustration, the sadness.

_"What am I to you? An ally? Competition? Some stupid damsel in distress? I know there's something about me you want. I can tell. You go all rigid when I'm around. Let's do it. Right now. Take off the masks. No secrets."_

_ "You can be whoever you want to be beneath that mask. That's why we stay hidden, isn't it? So we're safe and armored. So we're accountable to no one. So we can do… Anything. We. Want. Isn't that what we're about, you and me? Above all else…? Not being known?"_

_ "Face it, Bruce… the world you and I live in? It's not a safe place for kids."_

_ "Our kind can't make friends. Our friends tend to die."_

_ "Bruce Wayne may be many things besides gorgeous and rich. But I'm not sure anybody cares what those things are. I know I don't."_

_ "My world is all just shades of grey, Batman. That's why you'll never really understand me."_

As the images flashed across his head, Bruce felt… nothing. While the memories still brought a certain glow, they weren't quite the way they were before. Yes, he'll never forget Selina… He'll never forget Catwoman. But he can't remember the feeling anymore. His hands clamped down on Selina's arms and he gently but firmly pushed her away.

"I'm sorry, Selina. It's over."

"You can't mean that," Selina whispered.

"I think he does."

A small gasp escaped Selina's lips as she looked up to see a glowering Amazon Princess with her fists clenched tightly by her sides.

"Diana," Bruce whirled around, his cape billowing out behind him.

Diana floated down gracefully in front of Batman and Catwoman. Bruce held out a hand, moving slightly in front of Catwoman when Diana took a threatening step forward. "Diana, don't."

"Don't you dare defend her!" Diana glared at him.

"I'm not defending her, I'm just – "

"Then move out of my way, Batman."

An amused chuckle rang through the air. "I hate to interrupt this positively riveting tête-à-tête…"

In one smooth move, Batman placed himself between Diana and the interloper, a batarang appearing in his hand, ready to throw and stun should the newcomer prove to be an adversary. He could hear the sharp sound of steel scraping against steel as Catwoman unsheathed her claws. Diana whirled towards the direction of the voice, holding her fists up, ready to unleash her fury at whoever it was that dared to interrupt her.

"My, my, such hostility."

Diana's eyes widened in recognition and she immediately relaxed her aggressive stance. "Hermes." She stepped from behind Bruce and bowed from the waist. "How may I serve the messenger of the gods?"

"Not you… him," the Olympian looked pointedly at Batman. "It is time."


	6. Chapter 6

_Just a short update here... Working on the trials now and will publish them next! (soon, I hope!) I just needed to get this part out because... well... the voices in my head told me to (LoL)._

_Used the song "The Boy Is Mine" by Monica feat. Brandi - yet another excellent suggestion by editlady617. Parts of this chapter were based on our discussions, really. She's been a great help with getting my ideas across properly. _

_As always, thank you for reading and reviewing! And now, it's off to school I go... Ugh!_

* * *

**Of Whips, Lassoes and Wingdings**

"Now?" Bruce growled.

Hermes nodded almost regretfully. "Uh-huh. Refuse and it shall be considered forfeit." The robust and youthful-looking god held his hands up in mock surrender and shuddered dramatically when Bruce flashed him the infamously intimidating Batglare. "Don't shoot the messenger. I didn't make up the rules here."

"Fine," Bruce bit out. "Let's get this over with." He stepped up to Hermes with Diana not half a step behind.

"Apologies, cousin," Hermes looked at her in sympathy. "Where he goes, you cannot follow. For now, anyway."

"You can't just – " Diana started to argue.

Bruce placed a reassuring hand on the small of her back. "It's okay, Diana."

"But, Bruce…" she looked up at him with troubled blue eyes.

He removed his cowl and gave her a small, heartrending smile. "I'll be fine. It's going to be alright," Bruce caressed her cheek tenderly with the tips of his fingers. Diana wanted to throw her arms around him but contented herself with covering his hand with hers, pressing it hard against her face.

"Come back to me," she whispered, never breaking eye contact.

"I will," Bruce promised solemnly. Diana's breath caught in her throat as he traced her lips with his thumb. It was a kiss. "I love you. Remember that, Princess."

"And I you. Always."

Bruce put his cowl back on again and stood face to face with Hermes. The god placed a hand on Batman's shoulder and in a flash of golden light, the two men disappeared.

"Ugh, that was nauseating," Selina remarked snidely. "What was that all about?"

With clenched fists, Diana turned around slowly and glared at Catwoman. "None of your business."

"What concerns Batman is _my_ business."

"You presume too much."

The two women regarded each other in silence, weighing, measuring, each finding the other wanting.

"So… here we are…" Selina said, her lips curled up in amusement at Diana's wrathful expression.

"What now?" Diana placed her hands on her hips in her iconic pose.

"What indeed…" Selina purred.

"I think it's time we set things straight," Diana took a purposeful step forward. "You need to back off. Now."

Selina defensively stepped sideways. "I'm not allowing you to usurp my territory just like that," Selina told her. They began circling each other.

Diana lifted a stubborn chin, every inch the aristocratic warrior. "Last time I checked, I'm the one wearing his ring."

_You need to give it up  
Had about enough  
It's not hard to see - the boy is mine  
I'm sorry that you seem to be confused  
He belongs to me - the boy is mine_

"You're not at the altar yet, Princess," she smirked, injecting the honorific with much disdain. "If it weren't for your unwelcome interference, I would have convinced him that he would be making the biggest mistake of his life if he did tie the knot with you."

"How dare you!" Diana's temper flared white hot at the barbed insult. Her fists shook in an effort to restrain herself.

"Like I told you earlier," Selina reminded her. "Bruce and I go a long way back. I've seen him at his best and at his worst. I know him like the back of my hand. You couldn't possibly begin to imagine just how much."

"You only think you know him," Diana retorted.

"Oh, but I do," Selina smiled condescendingly. "Batman has sworn an oath of vengeance tempered only by his own concept of justice. He is paranoid and obsessive and works best alone. And I wouldn't want him any other way. Having you in his life will only take away his edge. You will want to change him to meet your standards and _that_ will ruin him. It takes someone like me to truly understand and accept who and what he is."

_See, I know that you may be just a bit jealous of me  
Cause you're blind if you can't see that his love is all in me  
I think that you should realize and try to understand why he is a part of my life  
I know it's killing you inside_

"Bruce has a great capacity to love," Diana argued. "It's just more difficult for him because of what happened to his parents. Yes, he may be paranoid and obsessive, which often makes it difficult for him to trust other people but he is learning to get past that."

"_Bruce_ is just a mask he wears to protect his true identity."

"You mistake me," Diana told her. "I am not referring to the self-absorbed playboy. Bruce is the man behind the superficial womanizer _and_ the Bat."

"We can stay out here all night and argue about who he is until we're all blue in the face," Selina rolled her eyes. "But we both know we can't convince each other. We can't settle it this way, can we?"

Diana narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "What are you suggesting? A duel?"

Selina laughed mirthlessly. "Not that I'm afraid to fight a meta…"

"I will not use my powers. It would not be fair," Diana told her archly. Not only was she adept in the Amazon method of hand-to-hand combat, but her sparring sessions with Bruce had introduced her to the 127 forms of martial arts that he had mastered in his quest to be the ultimate crime fighter. After what happened to her at Crime Alley, Bruce had become more demanding during their combat training sessions, more adamant that she learned all there was to know about self-defense. He was - and still is - a tough teacher, often imposing his exacting standards on her as he did on himself.

"… But do you – an Amazon – really want to engage in a catfight over a man?"

Diana hesitated. As much as she hated to agree with her rival, Selina made a good point. All things considered, it did not matter who would win in a duel. "You're right. Bruce is not a trophy to be won. He has made his decision. You heard him. Whatever it is that's between you two – it's over. He loves me and he has proven it. I will let this transgression of yours pass this time."

"But know this, Catwoman," Diana continued in a soft voice filled with warning… and a promise. "I will not sit idly by while you try to destroy what Bruce and I have for each other."

_When will you get the picture?  
You're the past, I'm the future  
You can't destroy this love I've found  
When I'm the one that brought him to the special place that's in my heart  
He was my love right from the start  
Your silly games I won't allow  
Get away, it's my time to shine  
If you didn't know - the boy is mine_

"This will not be the last time you see me, Wonder Woman." Selina nimbly leapt onto the ledge. She gave Diana a steady look. "And it's not over. It will _never_ be over." With a crack of her braided leather bullwhip, Catwoman disappeared into the night.

Diana stood unmoving, lost in her own thoughts. She was not exactly certain what Catwoman meant with her parting words. _Did she mean it would never be over between her and me? Or her and Bruce?_ Diana pondered.

She had arrived in time to see Bruce kiss Selina. Seeing him kiss her felt like Doomsday punched a hole through her chest, ripped her heart out and crushed it in his powerful grip. _No_, Diana shook her head vehemently. _It was the other way around. She kissed him._

But it still hurt.

_Damn semantics to the fiery depths of Tartarus_, Diana thought, struggling to keep the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

She had wanted to interrupt sooner but pained surprise kept her from announcing her presence a few heartbeats longer. She was about to go in with fists flying when she saw Bruce grip Selina's arms and push her away with a firm "I'm sorry, Selina. It's over."

Relief had flooded her entire being when she heard Bruce reject the offending feline's advances. But it was too late. The damage has been done. The image of Bruce and Selina together was seared painfully into her brain. She walked over to the gargoyle whose head she had crushed that one night a long time ago, leaned her forehead on its cold granite back and closed her eyes.

_Bruce and I go a long way back. I know him like the back of my hand. You couldn't possibly begin to imagine just how much. _Selina's mocking words ran through her head over and over again. And now, while she was all alone, she couldn't stop torturing herself with visions of Bruce and Selina locked in a passionate kiss. Her mind's eye saw Bruce touch Selina… Selina caressing Bruce… The two of them making love…

_Sweet Aphrodite, it hurts!_ A small sob escaped her ruby red lips and the mighty Wonder Woman finally gave in to the tears. She was created to be the perfect combination of beauty, brains and brawn, raised to be the fearless warrior that she was now. But nothing could have ever prepared her for the heartache that inevitably came with falling in love. In the complex matters of the heart, Wonder Woman was just… a woman.

"He never loved any body like the way that he loves you."

"How long have you been there, Nightwing?" Diana did not bother turning around.

"Long enough," Dick answered as he walked towards Diana; the rubberized soles of his boots dampened the sounds of his footsteps so effectively that it would take superhuman hearing to discern it.

"I thought you'd be in Blüdhaven by now," Diana glanced at him sideways, angrily swiping at the tears that were running down her cheeks. _Was everybody going to drop by this building tonight? _She thought, mildly annoyed at the intrusion of her privacy. Well, as private as she could get while on the rooftops of a city teeming with criminals and vigilantes. _Kal, or maybe Alfred himself, would probably appear next. _"What are you still doing here in Gotham?" She could not keep the irritation from her voice.

"Thought I'd stick around," Dick shrugged nonchalantly, totally unruffled by her Batman-like tone. "I kinda figured something like this was gonna happen when Selina showed up at the charity gala. I thought maybe you'd need a friend – or a son – whichever you prefer."

Diana hung her head, suddenly feeling ashamed for her rudeness. _He's only trying to help_, she thought. Then, it occurred to her that Dick was probably one of two people, maybe three if she counted Kal, who knew the details of Bruce and Selina's relationship.

"I'm sorry if I was a bit gruff, Dick," Diana apologized sincerely. "I just… Everything's just so… I feel so wretched," Her shoulders slumped in misery.

"It's okay, I understand," Dick told her. His blue eyes shone with sympathy behind his demi-mask. "Catwoman does have that effect on people sometimes."

"I just can't get the picture of the two of them together out of my head," Diana explained.

"Has he told you about her?" Dick asked.

"A little bit."

"Would you like to know more about them?" Dick asked, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.

Diana gave him a startled glance; although she shouldn't have been surprised that Dick was able to accurately deduce the reason behind her inner turmoil. He was, after all, trained by the 'World's Greatest Detective.' Not knowing what really stood between Bruce and Selina was killing her. "Am I that transparent?" she smiled sheepishly.

Dick chuckled. _This is my chance,_ Diana thought. _I can trust Dick to tell me the truth… but…_

"As much as I would like to, I think it would be best if he told me himself," Diana finally decided.

"You're right," Dick nodded in understanding. "It is not my story to tell. But I can, however, tell you my opinion. If you want."

Diana looked at him expectantly.

"I think their relationship is complicated – and very frustrating to watch. He's a genius but he'll never learn when it comes to her. Well, until you, that is," Dick winked at her. "He sees himself in her – somebody who has a great capacity to bring light into this world despite being born out of the dark. I believe he loved – he probably still loves – her potential to do good. And because they battle the same inner darkness, he knows that she can overcome it, the way he has. He's always tried to build her up to be her best self, to be a force of truth and justice."

"Likewise," Dick continued. "I think she sees herself in him – someone not _of_ the law or _above_ it but _outside_ of it. Someone who can manage to become whoever he wanted to be despite all the lemons life has thrown at him. And maybe, deep down inside, she wants to get out of the life she's carved out for herself and Batman is a beacon, an inspiration – a living example that she can step out of the shadows, too. She's been a great ally over the years, but from what I've seen, she's hurt Bruce as much as she's helped him. Sure, she worked with him and even saved him over the years. But she also has a tendency to be brash, unpredictable and selfish. At the end of the day, that selfishness is the very thing that's kept them apart. She knows that part of him is – _was_ – broken and I think she's always wanted him to _stay_ broken so that he'd be hers and hers alone. She always leaves, chasing whatever desire strikes her at that time, confident – complacent, even – that he'll always be there waiting for her whenever she decides to come back. That, I think, is a very messed up kind of love, doomed to fail."

Diana remained silent. She bit her lip and nodded, beginning to understand.

"But that's just me," Dick finished, flashing her a smile reminiscent of a cheeky Boy Wonder. "I could be wrong."

"I – I don't know what to say…" Diana started.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to him," her stepson-to-be told her. He couldn't resist engulfing her with a big hug. Somehow, Diana felt his gratitude... and hope. "I've _never_ seen him so happy. Please say you won't give up on him... Mom."

"Never," Diana vowed.


	7. Chapter 7

_Just a very short update here :) _

_A little side note about Selina/Catwoman. I knew I was asking for it when I wrote what I wrote but I hope Catwoman fans will realize that I am trying to develop the character - not destroy it (it just looks like I am, right now LoL). Should you feel the need to let me know how to accurately portray her, then please do so (in a nice way way, of course haha). Besides, you guys have BMCW in most of the official DC stuff. At least allow BMWW shippers their fanfics *wink* _

_Having said that, what inspired me to throw Catwoman into this story (aside from Lloyd RPGFan, that is) was that scene in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns where Selina, in a Wonder Woman outfit, was tied up by the Joker with a golden lasso. I was like, "OMG! What is the Joker trying to say here?!" DC sure does like to tease us BMWW shippers, huh?_

_As always, I don't own anything - just the typos and grammatical errors (If you spot any. I've never had an official beta, after all). Did a lot of googling and wiki-ing (is that even a word?! haha) for some technical stuff. Finals will start on Monday so I might have to go under the radar for a week before posting the next chapter... Wish me (good) luck, please! I'm gonna need it! LoL_

* * *

**The Trials of the Gods**

Hermes was not the messenger of the gods for nothing. Where most super speed-powered heroes drew their enhanced abilities from the Speed Force, Hermes did not need it. He was just esoterically fast. He could, almost quite literally, travel from Gotham City to Mount Olympus in a blink of an eye… but this time, he chose to go at a slower pace. Something about the human beside him intrigued him.

The mystical herald had always held a fascination with man in general. This one in particular piqued his curiosity to no end. He had watched the Batman from afar every now and again, even more so when Diana showed her interest towards the Dark Knight.

Diana's involvement with Batman had caused heated debates between the gods and goddesses of Olympus. Well, it was actually Aphrodite against the rest. Each of the deities had their reasons for being against the match – Hera had concerns over Diana's ability to continue being the champion of the gods should she bind herself to a mortal. Demeter, who never really got over Hades' abduction of her daughter Persephone, could not be blamed if she likened Batman to the lord of the Underworld. _Why did the man have to pattern his armor after a flying rodent?_ Hermes thought in irritation.

Athena was pretty adamant at Superman being the more fitting mate for an Amazon princess. _And she's supposed to be the wise one? _Hermes nearly snorted when he heard his half-sister's reason. _Thank Zeus, Aphrodite is the goddess of love and not her. Of course, Diana would be drawn to Batman._ _She is an Amazon – a warrior. It only makes sense that she would be attracted to a man who has mastered virtually all known forms of combat instead of being attracted to an alien who only has super powers because of the earth's yellow sun._ For thousands of years, he had always wanted to reassert the connection between man and the gods. It was his opinion that the pairing of Diana and Batman could potentially be a good start towards that end. But he had opted to keep his mouth shut while the other Olympians argued.

He had come to admire Batman's intelligence – not only the cunning way he outsmarted his enemies but also the way he managed his financial empire. Hermes saluted his ability to invent things as well. He would have long ago found a way to 'borrow' the Batmobile and tinker with it… but against his nature, Hermes had decided that it would not be a good idea. _Because… well… he's the Batman_. He gave Batman a discreet sideways glance, his eyes straying to the utility belt around the Caped Crusader's waist. He practically itched to have a look at what's inside… _Maybe it won't hurt… Just one little compartment… _He shifted his hand from Batman's shoulder down to his back.

"Don't even think about it," the Batman growled, placing a protective hand over his belt buckle.

Hermes nearly dropped him in surprise. "I'm pretty sure I don't know what you're talking about," he lied baldly. _How did he know?_ Hermes mused, returning his hand onto Batman's shoulder.

Batman scowled at him and looked like he was about to say something. "Ah, here we are," Hermes said, eager to change the topic. _The man's glare could easily rival that of Hades'_. "Welcome to Olympus, the home of the gods."

* * *

The palace at Olympus was built by the Cyclopes; the gigantic one-eyed Titans who were freed by Zeus from Tartarus and in thanks gave him his famous thunderbolts. Hephaestus, the talented god of the smiths and the forge, created all the furnishings and artwork, even making some of the chairs and tables able to move themselves in and out of the celestial hall. The entire place was built to impress – and intimidate.

As Hermes led him through the courtyard and up the steps of the palace, Bruce looked at the majesty surrounding him… and committed everything to memory – possible exits, possible hiding places, best vantage points. As they entered the throne room, Bruce noted that two thrones were positioned in the middle – one was made of polished black Egyptian marble adorned with gold, each of the seven steps leading up to it was enameled with one of the colors of the rainbow. A ruby-eyed golden eagle perched on the right arm of the seat. _Zeus' throne_, Bruce accurately deduced. The other throne in the middle was made of ivory, with three crystal steps leading up to it. Willow leaves and peacock feathers decorated the back. _Hera's_, Bruce thought. Along the sides of the great hall stood ten other thrones, five on each side, each one belonging to the other ten deities. Hermes motioned for him to stand in the middle.

"Father," Hermes called out as he walked over to one of the thrones. "I have brought the mortal here, as you've commanded."

With a loud boom and a display of bright lights, nine other Olympians materialized in front of their respective thrones. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Aphrodite, Artemis and Apollo. Slowly and deliberately, Bruce met each deity's stare. He noted that Ares and Hades were not in attendance.

"Oh, my," Aphrodite's giggle reminded him of a schoolgirl seeing her crush. "He really is a sight to see."

"You and your obsession with bad boys, Aphrodite," Hephaestus grumbled. Bruce recalled that Aphrodite was the master smith's wife but she had an affair with Ares. He filed that bit of information away for future use – just in case.

Zeus sent Aphrodite a quelling look, making the goddess of love blush gorgeously. As the Olympians sat on their thrones, Bruce pulled himself up to his full height, standing tall, proud and unafraid.

"So," Zeus' booming voice echoed throughout the room. He leaned back against his throne, propping his elbow on the arm of his seat and stroked his silvery beard thoughtfully. "This is the mortal with the audacity to stake a claim on our Amazon princess?"

Bruce lifted his chin defiantly. "I am."

"And you think yourself worthy?" Hera lifted a regal eyebrow.

"That's what we're here to find out, is it not?" Bruce retorted.

"Such insolence!" Artemis hissed. Her fist closed fitfully over her golden bow.

"Collect yourself, Artemis," Zeus commanded. He stared at Bruce for a while. "We need to set the ground rules."

"Let's get this over and done with," Bruce said gruffly.

"We shall keep it simple. Since you are but human, we will allow you to use everything at your disposal in order to complete the tasks. If the need arises, you may even ask help from your colleagues provided that you are the one who fulfills the required action to complete the quest."

"Understood." Bruce nodded curtly.

"Very well, let's begin." Zeus turned to his queen.

Hera nodded and stood up. "As queen of Olympus and patron of the Amazons, I claim the right to assign the first task." She walked down the crystal steps as she continued to speak. "You are purported to be the world's 'greatest detective' and it is a well known fact that from time to time, my husband would disguise himself as a human and sire children with mortal women." She gave Zeus a dirty look over her shoulder. The king of Olympus grimaced and shifted in his seat.

She turned her blue-eyed gaze to Bruce. "For me to grant you my blessing to take Diana as your wife, I want you to find my husband's latest bastard and bring the child here to face my judgment."

Bruce frowned. He had studied mythology before and knew that because of Zeus' infidelities, Hera has taken revenge on many of his offspring and concubines. His mind raced, anticipating all the possible complications and consequences of this particular trial.

"Hera!" Zeus exclaimed. "You can't – "

"_Be quiet_, _Zeus!_" Hera spun around to face him. "I've had it up to here with your bastards!" she made an impatient gesture with her hand.

"Is that it?" Bruce asked. "Just find the child and bring him here?"

"I do not know for certain if the child is indeed a _him_," Hera shrugged. "All I know is that the child was born in California 14 years ago. Nothing else."

_Great,_ Bruce thought drily. _California, population: 38 million. Just great. _"How long do I have?"

"As long as you need," Hera replied graciously. "Do you accept this challenge?"

"Consider it done."

Hera nodded. The other gods and goddesses stood up and joined their queen. They began to glow as they joined hands, forming a circle around Bruce. A prickly sensation settled upon him when a beam of light shot out from each of the Olympians and wrapped around him.

"Go," Hera commanded. "Be steadfast and you will triumph. But waver and you will fail. We will be watching you, Batman."


	8. Chapter 8

_"I can say without a doubt that there are an infinite number of universes. Some are just like our own... but for one or two significant events, exactly the same." - Lex Luthor, Injustice: Gods Among Us._

_Yeap, I've gone gaga over the game! And with that quote in mind, Welcome to Ruxyverse, one of the 'infinite number of universes,' a universe where BMWW are together... LoL_

_I'd like to take this time to thank the following people for their reviews: Lloyd RPGFan, editlady617, mbembet, The Goddamn Dark Knight, The Mortal Knight, Captain Beer, sabbath9997, dragonball256, DhampyrX2, Wonderwomanbatmanfan, butterflyV, wonderpanda10, Judy, manuel, rosie, Pobre, thaliagrace21, cew1088, SkullCanDiieeBites, JericaMMADfan, Julia, ZeldaIsis, thedwo, Maculedes, Guests x 5, and everybody else whose names I might have overlooked._

_This chapter contains info from theoi dot com, a site dedicated to Greek mythology and a little something inspired from the movie Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (let's see if any of you can figure out which part it is lol). __This was supposed to be a long chapter but I decided to divide it into two because I can't resist teasing you guys with the cliffhanger *wink*... Enjoy while I go back to studying..._

* * *

**The World's Greatest Detective**

One moment, he was at the throne room of Olympus surrounded by the gods and the next, he was at the Batcave. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the difference in lighting.

He took off his cowl and walked towards the computer, intending to start working on his latest 'case' when he saw Diana asleep on his chair, apparently waiting for him to arrive. _She's so beautiful,_ he thought. He glanced at his watch. The luminous digital display said 3:29 a.m. A small frown grazed her brow as his shadow fell over her. Bruce reached down and brushed a wayward lock of hair from her cheek and tucked it gently behind her ear. His hand froze as Diana stirred. "Bruce?" she whispered, eyes still closed.

"It's okay, Princess," he said softly. "I'm here." He lifted her up with ease and held her close against his chest.

Diana's eyes fluttered open. "What did they tell you to do?"

"I'll tell you all about it tomorrow," he promised her, resting his cheek against her head. He made his way up the stairs to his study.

Diana gave a small yawn, placing her hand unconsciously over his heart. "I… can… walk," she mumbled sleepily.

"Shhh, sleep, Princess," he said as he carried his beloved burden all the way up to his – their – room.

After removing his armor and hers, Bruce climbed into bed beside her. She snuggled closer against him, wrapping a long, smooth leg over his. He hugged her tightly, reveling in her warmth, loving how she was soft and firm in all the right places. He mentally went over what just happened and began making plans.

_We'll get through this, Princess,_ he vowed.

* * *

After the Olympians sent the mortal back to Gotham, they went off their separate ways leaving Zeus alone, sitting on his throne, pondering. He gave out an annoyed 'tsk.' _Trust Hera to think of a trial like this,_ he thought contemptuously. _I should have her punished when this is all over. The gall! Undermining my authority in front of that mortal! _He resisted the urge to hurl a lightning bolt through the great celestial hall.

The king of the gods drummed his fingers indolently on the arm of his throne. He sighed. Admittedly, he could not blame his wife. He could not help straying from time to time and his dalliances with other goddesses and mortal women were not exactly kept secret from Hera. _Immortality does get boring after a thousand years… or two,_ he thought sardonically.

He had been careful the last time he had an affair – or so he thought. Contrary to popular belief, he did care about his children's well being. He was, after all, the 'Father of Gods and Men.' But because of Hera's propensity towards jealousy and revenge, he just did not see it worth his eternal time to meddle in his offsprings' affairs – more than is absolutely necessary, that is.

But god or not, a father's instinct to look after his children was difficult to suppress. It drove him to check on his children every once in a while. The youngest – the child that Hera had Batman search for – seemed to be okay, the last time he checked. Well, the youngster did have several anger management issues, but other than that, the teenager was okay. Or as okay as can be expected, growing up without paternal guidance.

Zeus had a feeling that the Batman would not have any difficulty finding the child. Something about the way the mortal held himself – so sure, so confident, so determined – told him that this particular trial would be easy enough for him. But knowing his wife, he was absolutely certain that locating the child per se was not the core of Hera's challenge. She _can_ be cruel when the mood strikes her.

He winced at the memories of just how vindictive Hera can be. Zeus had tried his best to aid his mistresses. He had tried to disguise them or hide them where he thought Hera would not find them. But the queen of the gods was relentless and resourceful.

The titan Leto was the first of his mistresses to feel the wrath of the goddess. When Hera found out that Zeus had gotten Leto with child, she sent the Drakon Python to pursue her relentlessly during her pregnancy. When Zeus fell in love with Callisto, he was forced to change her into a bear in order to escape Hera's attention. But Hera had persuaded Artemis to shoot the girl with an arrow. When Heracles, Zeus' son with Alkmene, was eight months old, Hera sent two great serpents to his bed for she wanted the infant destroyed. Fortunately, the babe woke up and squeezed the serpents to death. The list could go on and on.

Zeus frowned in thought. Unlike his favorite son Heracles, his youngest child did not inherit any of his godly powers. _But who knows what Hera intends to do with the kid… Perhaps it would be wise to give the child some powers…_ _for protection…_

Zeus sat for a long time contemplating on what he had to do.

* * *

"Computer, list all live births in California from the year 1998 to 1999," Bruce commanded.

"Commencing." A low hum emanated from the central processing unit as the computer sorted through the database. Within five seconds, the results flashed on the monitor. "Live births in California from 1998 – 1999: 510, 198."

"That's a lot," Diana remarked dolefully. "Good thing Hera did not give you a time limit for this quest. I guess we better start with surveillance for these children?"

"Not necessarily," Bruce flashed her a secretive smile. "I can narrow it down to several hundreds at most."

Diana gave him a curious look. "How is that possible?"

"With this," Bruce held up a microchip less than half the size of his fingernail. He pressed a button on the console and the caddy for the microchip reader slid forward. He placed the microchip carefully on the tray. "Computer, download data."

"Downloading."

"I've incorporated a camera into the lenses of my cowl," Bruce explained with a boyish grin. "It's still a prototype that I'm working on. When I blink, it takes pictures of what I see. I'm still working on expanding the chip's memory without sacrificing the size though. It can't hold much data yet. Perhaps, when I have more time to tinker around, I can modify it to record what I see and feed it directly to the computer."

"Download complete." Diana watched in fascination as pictures of Olympus and her gods and goddesses flashed across the screen. Bruce began tapping furiously on the keyboard, clicking on the mouse and moving the pictures around.

"Computer, initialize face recognition program." A window popped up and Bruce dragged Zeus' picture into it. With several clicks of the mouse, a series of dots and lines were overlaid onto the god's face.

"How did you manage to get pictures of each of them?" Diana asked.

Bruce shrugged. "They were staring at me like I'm some sort of an organism under a microscope. I stared right back… then blinked," he chuckled. He tapped yet another series of keys on his keyboard.

"Computer, cross match specimen with live birth results," Bruce commanded. "List matches of 75% or more."

"Commencing requested scans. Estimated time of completion: 27 minutes, 13 seconds."

"What are you asking it to do?" Diana asked, curious.

"The application will take Zeus' picture and compare it with the pictures of the mothers of these 510, 198 children," Bruce explained. He reached out, wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. "I've programmed it to take into consideration the declared father's features as well. It will then make a composite of what the child would look like and compare it with the actual image of the child. After that, it will just be a matter of elimination."

"You make it sound so simple."

"It is. But I sincerely doubt that your gods will make it easy for me, Diana," Bruce's lips twisted drily.

"Will it work?" Diana asked with a small, worried frown. Through the years of working with Bruce, she had learned not to doubt his creations or his methodologies… even if he tended to be unorthodox sometimes. But this time, for obvious reasons, she wanted to be absolutely sure that his plan would work.

Bruce nodded. "Theoretically, it should." He kissed the frown off her forehead and ran his hand soothingly up and down her back. _It had better work,_ he thought. _Too much is at stake._

"Why don't we just ask Zatanna to scry for magical beings?" Diana suggested.

"I thought of doing that," Bruce replied. "But in all likelihood, that will yield more than 500,000 results, a million even. Zeus is not the only prolific god, you know. And it will be too taxing even for a powerful magician like Zee. This is the more logical first step. When this is done, then perhaps we can ask her to test the likely candidates for magical origins."

She shifted to a more comfortable position on his lap and buried her face in his neck with a sigh.

"Patience, Princess."

Diana nodded reluctantly. They really had nothing else to do but wait. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Bruce?" Diana said in a muffled voice.

"Hmm?"

"Do you regret this? Do you regret us?"

Frowning, Bruce leaned back and peered into her face. "Of course not," he told her. "Why are you even asking that?"

Diana sat up and looked away. "Nothing. I… I just want to say I'm sorry that you have to go through all this because of me… and to say thank you because you would."

"You're welcome," Bruce tucked a finger under her chin and turned her head towards him. He looked into her troubled eyes. "It's Selina, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry," Diana sighed. "I know you don't want to talk about it."

"What happened on that rooftop, Diana?"

Haltingly, Diana told him what transpired between her and Selina after Hermes spirited him off to Olympus. She also told him about Nightwing's appearance soon after Catwoman left.

With a sigh, Bruce leaned his head on his chair. Several heartbeats later, he came to a decision. "Listen closely, Diana," he said. "I'm only going to do this once. Just this once, okay?" he reached out and fingered the lasso hanging by her hip. He looked at the golden rope like it was a viper about to strike.

Diana's eyes widened and she flew off his lap when she realized what he was about to do. "No, Bruce! You know you don't have to. Past is past. I trust you."

"I know you do," Bruce stood up. "You said we can always use the lasso, if I wanted to. And right now, I do. I'm doing this not just for you but for me as well. Maybe I need to hear the naked truth for myself. Let's hear it, once and for all." He held out his hand towards her. He watched as various emotions played across Diana's expressive face.

"Are you… are you sure about this, Bruce?" She bit her lower lip indecisively.

"Please, Princess." _Please, before I change my mind,_ he added silently.

With a reluctant nod, Diana looped the Lasso of Truth around his extended wrist. It began to glow brightly. "You don't have to do this," she reminded him. "You can stop any time you want to."

Bruce took a deep, shuddering breath. He could feel the powerful magic of the lasso course through him, filling him with an overwhelming desire to tell the truth. Nothing but the pure and painful truth. He looked at Diana straight in the eye.

"I love Selina."


	9. Chapter 9

_Well, I had fun teasing you guys... And now I have to redeem myself for the coronary I might have given some loyal BMWW readers! Hahaha!_

_Inspiration for this chapter comes from the song "I Need Love" by Laura Pausini. There's a fan-made BMWW video for it in YouTube by ShayeraElektra1._

_I would like to make a special shoutout to **editlady617** for helping me with this chapter. Without her, Bruce's 'explanation' will just be a jumbled collection of paltry sentences that would be absolutely disappointing to read. The woman has a gift with words that astounds me. She should write and publish something (take the hint already! LoL)._

_And to **Lloyd RPGFan** as well, who has given me epic suggestions for the trials of the gods :)_

_The allusion to Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol was actually the camera in the cowl's lenses (that scene where Jeremy Renner kept blinking to send copies of some file or whatever)._

_As always, I would like to thank the loyal BMWW readers/reviewers for not taking out the flame thrower with that last chapter... Judy, Maculedes, wonderpanda10, JericaMMADfan, RedHal, MASSHERO-95, lolDetective, dragonball256, mbembet, ZeldaIsis, Zenness, WonderBatFan, Captain Beer, The Mortal Knight, butterflyV, Wonderwomanbatmanfan, Semerket, Bmwwlover, The Goddamn Dark Knight, thedwo, cew1088 and guests x 2._

_My neurons have short circuited now... Yawn... Zzzz..._

* * *

**The Truth Will Set You Free**

Diana's hands trembled as she held on to the lasso. She suddenly found it hard to breathe. Very, very hard to breathe.

"I love her," Bruce repeated. "Selina and I are alike. When we met, she was one of the very few people who could understand me because she'd been through the kind of hell that _I'd_ been through."

"She is headstrong and fiercely independent. But she's not the purely selfish person that people think. God knows she's risked her life for me more than I care to count – that's proof that she _can_ be selfless. And it's proof that she _can_ love – that she _does_ love."

Diana closed her eyes and bowed her head as his words crashed over her like tidal waves battering the shore. _Great Hera, give me strength_, she prayed fervently. Hearing Bruce profess his love for another burned like the eternal fires of Tartarus but she _will_ brave this out. _For Bruce, I will_, she clenched her jaws in determination.

_I'd cross the desert to be where you are  
All the things I'd do to be close to you  
A million miles wouldn't seem that far  
I'd go anywhere just to win your heart  
But wherever this leads..._

"We were like broken mirrors, all shattered pieces and jagged edges. You can glue the pieces back together, but the image reflected will always come out distorted and there will always be a missing sliver here and there. I could only love her as much as she let me."

Diana tilted her head up and watched as Bruce's eyes took on a glazed look… as if he was looking inside himself. She moved closer, standing inches away from him. Her heart throbbed from the pain of Bruce's confession but her arms ached even more to embrace him, to comfort him.

"I could only love the parts of her that she was willing to share with me. But there's a broken part of Selina that believes nothing good lasts forever. It's what makes her keep leaving me… and keep hurting me. I can understand it, because I used to believe the same thing." Diana heard a catch in his voice.

"I tried to love her the best way I knew how. I wish I could have helped her get past that need to run away," Bruce continued hoarsely. "I wish I'd been able to wait her out, to help her open up and become the best possible version of herself. But… I failed her. I failed her because I just didn't know how. I was about as broken as she was. Maybe even more so. It was like the blind trying to lead the blind."

"Selina never let me love her fully, but looking back, I wouldn't have been able to. How could I when my own heart wasn't whole? And I have needs that she never could fulfill. She's never really tried to see or love the whole _me_."

Diana could no longer hold back. She threw her arms around Bruce. She could feel him trembling. She held on tight, wanting desperately to take away the pain that he was feeling.

"I think she believes that kind of love only exists in fairy tales. I never thought _I'd_ believe that kind of love exists. I could not. I _dared_ not," Bruce whispered. "Until you, Diana."

Diana met his watery gaze. He brushed a tear from her cheek with a calloused thumb, a tear she never realized fell from her eye. The corner of his lips twitched in slight amusement. "My Princess in shining armor."

"I never expected to meet someone who would make me want to fix myself," Bruce told her tenderly, blinking as his own tears started streaming down his face. "Someone caring enough and _stubborn_ enough to wait for me while I did. Someone _strong_ enough to keep me from pushing her away, no matter how hard I tried. And someone _loving_ enough to forgive me for trying to."

_When I see you I just lose my mind  
__You're the everything I thought I'd never find  
__(There) Must be an angel watching over me  
__With a little luck, we're gonna make you mine  
_'_Cause I wanna believe in all we can be…_

"You showed me what I needed to see," Bruce continued. "You showed me a world where love exists unconditionally – a love worth fighting for, a love worth dying for, a love worth _living_ for. You love me. You accept me _all of me_. You taught me how to accept myself – and how to love fully."

"I love Selina," Bruce told her again. But this time, it no longer hurt her to hear it. "But I'm not in love with her anymore. I'm in love with you. I couldn't do for _her_ what _you_ did for me. I couldn't _give_ her what she needed or _be_ what she needed. And _she's_ not what I needed. Diana, _you_ are what _I_ need."

"You love me because you need me?"

"No, Princess. I need you because I love you," he smiled. That glorious smile that made her all warm and fuzzy on the inside. "Heart, mind and soul - I'm yours. You're not just who I need. You're who I want. And I can't imagine my life without you - I don't want to."

_I need love  
__The kind that makes you wanna live  
__The kind that makes you wanna breathe  
__The kind that makes you feel too much  
__And I need you to help me find a better way  
__And I guess you never thought you'd hear me say, "I need love…"_

"Now, take this thing off me," Bruce lifted his wrist – only to find that the lasso was no longer around it.

The look Diana gave him was bursting with love and joy. "I trust you to tell me the truth even when you think you can't."

_And oh, I will catch you when you fall  
__Be the greatest love of all, I promise to be…_

With a groan, Bruce dug his fingers through her hair and crushed his lips against hers in an unrestrained, intoxicating kiss. Diana kissed him back with all her heart and all her soul. His arms slanted over her hips, hands cupping her buttocks, pressing her roughly against him. She gasped in pleasure as his kisses trailed a fiery path from her lips down to her neck.

"Superman to Batman."

"_Damn it, Clark!_" Bruce swore succinctly. He ignored the transmission and continued to shower Diana with kisses.

"Batman, are you there? This is urgent!" Superman's voice piped up again. "Batman?!"

Diana giggled breathlessly as Bruce gave up his passionate pursuits with a wrathful snarl. He pressed his com-link. "Batman here. This had better be good, Superman."

"We need you here at the Metrotower. ASAP."

Before he could reply, the computer beeped. "Data analysis complete."

Bruce and Diana glanced up at the monitor. It displayed the pictures of the children who could possibly be sired by Zeus. Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Can't it wait, Superman? I'm in the middle of something here."

"I'm sorry, Batman," his friend replied. "I think this needs your attention immediately. Yours and Wonder Woman's."

Diana placed a placating hand on his arm. "Stay here and continue with the quest. I'll go and sort it out."

Bruce nodded. "Get ready to teleport Wonder Woman in thirty seconds."

"But Batman…" Superman protested.

"Superman," Bruce interrupted with a low and ominous tone of voice. "I have utmost confidence that Wonder Woman is capable enough to do whatever it is that needs doing. Unless there is an intergalactic battle of epic proportions, I do not want to be disturbed! Batman – out!"

* * *

Minutes after Diana teleported to the Metrotower, Bruce sat staring at the top two results of his search.

Jason Peter Todd. 95.8% match. Mother: Sheila Haywood (deceased). Father: Willis Todd (deceased). Current location: Gotham City Boys' Town.

Cassandra Elizabeth Sandsmark. 95.3% match. Mother: Helena Sandsmark. Father: Unknown. Current location: Gateway City, California.

Bruce's eyes narrowed, analyzing the information in front of him. With a few clicks of the mouse, a picture of Cassandra's mother appeared on the screen. His eyes zeroed in on the words that confirmed his suspicions. Dr. Helena Sandsmark. Occupation: Curator – Gateway City Museum of Antiquities.

Gateway City Museum of Antiquities housed the largest collection of Greek artifacts outside of Greece.

_This is too easy… too obvious_, Bruce thought. He leaned back and continued to stare at the monitor. He propped an elbow on the armrest and stroked his chin thoughtfully. _But there's something about the boy…_

He reached forward and made several mouse clicks with his other hand. A hiss escaped his lips at what he read. Gotham City Boys' Town. Description: home for orphaned youths. Proprietor: Romano Viti. A red warning sign flashed at the bottom of the window. _Suspected front for crime syndicate engaged in child exploitation_, it read.

Romano Viti was the great-nephew of Carmine "The Roman" Falcone, one of the most ruthless crimelords Gotham has ever known. He virtually controlled the entire city with the Mayor, the City Council and the then Police Commissioner Loeb under his payroll. In the early days of his crime-fighting career, Batman had played a pivotal role in taking down The Roman's empire. Because police detective Jim Gordon had been stirring up trouble for Commissioner Loeb within the Gotham City Police Department, Falcone had given orders for Gordon's wife and newborn child to be kidnapped. The plot was foiled by the joint effort of Gordon and Batman. Eventually, Batman's investigations and incriminating information unearthed by District Attorney Harvey Dent, forced Loeb to resign his post, to be replaced by Gordon as Commissioner.

_What is he doing here in Gotham?_ Bruce thought furiously. Although the Viti Crime Family was connected to the Falcones via Carmine's sister, Carla, that group operated mainly in Chicago.

_Focus, Bruce, focus,_ he reminded himself, rubbing his temples with his knuckles. _Diana. Olympians. Trials. Find Zeus' child._

All evidence pointed to the blonde and blue-eyed girl. His logic and gut instinct told him that Sandsmark was Zeus' daughter. All it took was one quick trip to California and this quest would be over. He'd be one step closer to marrying Diana. _And eleven petty trials more to go_, he thought drily.

His eyes strayed towards Jason's photo. The boy was scowling at the camera. _So much anger for one so young,_ Bruce thought with a slight twinge in his heart. He could imagine exactly what the boy must be going through. He had long ago sworn that he would protect and defend children like Jason Todd. Children like that boy in Crime Alley who had lost his parents to violence thirty years ago. Children who fall prey to sick people who would only use them for theft, drugs, prostitution and other forms of crime and abuse. Too many have suffered under the reign of Gotham's crimelords. And he could not – _he would not_ – allow Romano Viti to establish a new organized crime network in Gotham.

_Be steadfast and you will triumph,_ Hera's parting words rang through his head. _But waver and you will fail._

He sat, looking back and forth at Jason Todd and Cassandra Sandsmark's photos, feeling conflicted between his love for Diana and his life's mission. Minutes later, he finally arrived at a decision. It was not an easy choice to make.

_I __**will**__ be steadfast. I __**will**__ not waver,_ Bruce thought with ironclad resolve. He activated his com-link. "Batman to Zatanna. Come in, Zee."

* * *

"What's so important that needs Batman's attention, Kal?" Diana asked Clark as they walked along the corridor towards the Founders' conference room.

Clark sighed, resignedly. "You'll find out soon enough, Di."

Diana gave him a curious look and shrugged as they neared the doors leading to the conference room. Clark put a hand on her shoulder, as she was about to place her hand on the panel that read her handprint, allowing her entry into the room. "Diana," he said carefully. "Before we go in, let me just remind you to keep an open mind, okay?"

Diana lifted her eyebrows questioningly. "Whatever do you mean, Kal?"

"Just promise me you'll keep an open mind," Clark insisted.

"Of course," Diana inclined her head in agreement.

Clark breathed a sigh of relief. "Very well, let's go." With no further delays, Clark opened the door to the room.

Diana smiled at her teammates. All of them were there – J'onn, Flash, Shayera and John. Steve was present as well. He gave her a big grin. "Hi, Angel."

"Hello, Steve," she nodded in acknowledgment. Diana's jaw dropped surprise when her eyes fell on the person sitting on Batman's chair.

"You!" she exclaimed.

Catwoman smiled and stretched demurely. "Yes. Me."


	10. Chapter 10

_Hi, guys! Sorry for the slight delay in the update... The world shook - literally. A very strong earthquake hit my hometown. What a fitting end to finals week._

_Anyway, a big thank you to **Lloyd RPGFan** for suggesting this part and **editlady617** for helping me with the conceptualization for this one. This is the first time that I've had to write in different POV's. Here's hoping I got it right._

_Allusions to several Justice League/Justice League Unlimited episodes. Using lyrics from the song entitled "Black Widow" by Booty Luv. I don't own anything nor am I making money out of this._

_As always, thank you for taking the time to read and review!_

* * *

**It Can Swing Both Ways**

Steve Trevor stepped out of the steaming shower. Grabbing a towel, he began drying himself, vigorously rubbing it on his short-cropped blond hair and well-muscled torso. He wrapped the towel around his trim waist as he exited the bathroom. Much as he hated to admit it, Batman's visit had unnerved him. He began wondering if his pursuit of Wonder Woman was worth the potential bodily harm he would incur from the Caped Crusader.

"Hi, there, loverboy."

He bit back a curse when he saw a second nocturnal intruder stretched out lazily on his bed. _What is wrong with this city and its citizens?!_ He thought irately. His eyes flew to where he'd left his gun. It was no longer on the bedside table.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

The leather-clad woman sat up, crossing one leg over the other and leaning back on her hands in a seductive pose. "Friends call me Catwoman." She smiled up at him. Her glittering green eyes roved up and down his near naked body. "And I have a feeling that we're going to be the best of friends."

_He should be thinking about staying away_  
_Toying with him and I'm playing no games_  
_I'm leaving him dazed and deranged_  
_After he feels the poison race through his veins_

"What do you want?" His mind raced trying to recall what he knew about Catwoman.

"I can get Batman off your case," Catwoman replied. She stood up and sashayed towards him.

Steve frowned. "Excuse me?"

_I'll chew you up, spit you out cause that's what I'm all about  
I'll leave you soft in the middle  
I'll break your heart just a little  
I got that black black widow_

Catwoman stopped inches away from him. He flinched as she traced a finger lightly down the middle of his chest to his rippled abdominals. "Let's not play around, Colonel Steve. We both know you desire Wonder Woman."

"What's in it for you?"

"You get your princess, I get my dark knight," she smiled demurely. "What say you? You scratch my back, I scratch yours."

Steve stared at her upturned face. Sure, he wanted Diana and was willing to go to great lengths just to get her… but he drew the line at conniving with criminals. _And yet... It can't hurt to hear what she's planning, right?_

_She'll build you up, break you down  
Whenever you are around  
She ain't no saint, she's a sinner  
You best believe she's a winner  
She got that black black widow_

"What did you have in mind?"

* * *

"What is she doing here, Kal?" Diana whispered furiously. "Do you even know who she is?"

"Remember your promise, Di," Clark answered in an equally low voice. "And yes, I know who she is."

"There had better be a good explanation for this, Kal."

Clark nodded and motioned for her to take her seat – the seat beside Catwoman.

"I think I'd rather stand," Diana crossed her arms over her chest.

"Okay, then. Steve, if you don't mind?" Clark looked pointedly at the government liaison.

"Sure, Supes." Diana raised an eyebrow at the familiar way that Steve addressed the Man of Steel.

"To put it simply," Steve began. "Catwoman has approached me and asked me to intercede on her behalf. She realizes that her reputation has not been exactly… wholesome…"

John grunted. "Umm-hmm."

"… But she has turned over a new leaf and would like to become a member of the Justice League," Steve finished.

"Like Hades she is!" Diana exploded.

"Just like that?" John said incredulously. "You spend most of your life engaged in shady dealings and you wake up one morning and decide to be a member of the Justice League? Please."

"This is a rather strange request," J'onn agreed.

"I've checked her files," Steve told everybody. "She hasn't been involved or implicated in any kind of crime for a quite while now."

"Probably just smart enough not to get caught," Shayera muttered under her breath.

The Flash darted to where Catwoman was sat. He leaned his elbow on the back of her chair. "Aw, c'mon! She can't be _that_ bad," he said with a silly grin. "I can show you around the Tower, if you want."

The rest of the founders gave him deadpan looks.

"Eek!" Wally returned to his seat.

Superman cleared his throat. "Catwoman, do you have anything to say before we make a decision?"

Selina stood up and started walking around the founders' table. "I can't deny that I've had a very… unsavory past. I am a Gothamite. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do in order to survive in that city. I understand if you distrust me – I'd be surprised if you didn't. But all I can say is that I'm willing to give this superhero thing a shot. I can't change overnight," she shrugged. "But I'm willing to try. From somebody like me, that is more than enough."

"The least we could do is vote," Superman told his colleagues. "It is only fair."

The other founders nodded in reluctant agreement.

"If you don't mind," Superman looked at Steve and Selina. "We would like to discuss this in private."

* * *

Shayera stared at Steve and Selina's retreating backs. _Something's going on between those two_, she thought in suspicion. Batman may be credited as the 'World's Greatest Detective,' but Shayera was not without skills in the sleuthing department. In fact, she was actually exceptionally adept at it.

While she was investigating the League for the Thanagarians, Shayera had come across Catwoman when she was gathering information about Batman. The pieces of information she got were not exactly detailed but they were enough for her to deduce that Batman and Catwoman most likely had a relationship that was more than your usual hero-villain type. When the League expanded to include other superheroes, a carefully worded question – or two – directed at the League's other 'Gothamites' like the Huntress, Zatanna and Etrigan, only strengthened her suspicions even more.

And now that she's actually seen Catwoman in the flesh – and how Wonder Woman reacted to her presence – Shayera's suspicions were confirmed. She sat and pondered over which way to vote. Diana may not exactly fall under the 'bosom buddy' category in Shayera's book, but Diana was a very good and reliable teammate. She once told the Amazon that they were like oil and vinegar – they went well together but they won't mix. She did not want to antagonize Diana needlessly but…

Oddly enough, Shayera could empathize with Selina. After all, she was the one playing the annoying ex-girlfriend role in her triangle with John and Mari. Other than that, her own history was not beyond rebuke. True, she started out as a spy. _No, _she amended automatically albeit half-heartedly._ I was a forward scout. Though an ant could starve on the difference. _But she honestly did not know that her then fiancé, Hro Talak, and the rest of the Thanagarian armed forces were willing to destroy the Earth and the entire human race just to strike a mortal blow at their enemies, the Gordanians. In her time on this planet, she had learned to care for its inhabitants… and she had not expected to fall in love…

It certainly was not easy being branded a traitor – twice. But the League had given her another chance…

_So, what's it gonna be, Shay?_ She asked herself, pressing her lips into a thin line. _Yes or no?_

* * *

John sat scowling, his normally chocolate brown eyes glowed green under the influence of his power ring. Despite his reputation of having a belligerent attitude towards those in authority, he was still a U.S. Marine at heart. Discipline and teamwork had been drummed into him. _That woman is a loose cannon_, he thought with certainty. _I don't know exactly what going on between Diana and her but I've been busting Bruce's chops about Diana for a while and I'm pretty sure Catwoman will just create unnecessary friction between the two lovebirds..._

He couldn't help but liken Catwoman to Shayera though. _Not that Shay's a criminal,_ he thought. Her initial betrayal during the Thanagarian invasion of the earth had crushed him. Only the indomitable will that marked him as a Green Lantern saved him… that and his love for his winged teammate. Shayera had been misunderstood, after a fashion. She was just acting under orders. She was firm in her duty to Thanagar and believed that the Thanagarians were acting in Earth's best interest. When the Justice League resisted the Thanagarian invasion, Shayera had chosen duty over love and loyalty.

Being an ex-Marine, John had to grudgingly admit that he understood the obligation to following orders. There were times when one does not agree with a given command; nevertheless, they still had to be carried out to preserve order and discipline in the regiment and respect in the chain of command. Had their positions been reversed, he would have done exactly the same thing. _Well, maybe not __**exactly**__ the same thing,_ he frowned. But when push came to shove, Shayera redeemed herself by doing the right thing even at her own expense.

"_I came to this planet as a patriot. I had a mission and I carried it out… what I couldn't know was that I would come to care for the Earth and her people… that I'd come to care for all of you." _John would never forget the look in her eyes when she said that.

_Shayera has a short fuse and her M.O is often brutal_, he thought. _But I know her. She is good deep down inside. What if Catwoman is like that?_

And the League had given Shayera a second chance…

_Think objectively_, he told himself sternly. _Is she in or out?_

* * *

As the youngest of the founding members, Wally West knew that he was usually considered immature and impetuous by the other six. It didn't help his case that he could be flippant even at the face of gravest danger and that he had a tendency to be a shameless flirt.

_But Catwoman sure is hot… can't blame Bats if he had a thing for her,_ Wally chuckled as his imagination went on over drive. _Not that Wondy isn't, of course. But all that skin-tight leather… and the whip. Let's not forget the whip! _

But Wally didn't mind it too much when people called him immature because he also knew that many Leaguers and civilians said that his approachability and goofiness brought a laid-back and down-to-earth quality to the otherwise god-like team of superheroes; thus, earning him the moniker "the heart of the Justice League." He had always displayed a great amount of empathy not just to his friends but even to those in his rogue gallery as well.

_Everybody deserves a chance to prove that they can do something right_, he thought. _But Bats will surely have me doing monitor duty for the rest of my natural life… knowing him, it's gonna be graveyard shifts for me, too! And Wondy_… Almost involuntarily, a slightly naughty image of him tied with Wonder Woman's lasso flashed through his head._ Ohhh, the lasso's not so bad either… Bats, you're one lucky sonofa… _

* * *

J'onn sighed. Being a telepath carried with it great responsibility – more than what most people expect. There was more to being a telepath than just reading minds or projecting thoughts. There were a multitude of variations to the power and J'onn has mastered each of them – from literally reprogramming the mind of a subject into believing whatever he wants them to believe to causing complete mental shutdown in a target. It was a power easily abused, tempered only by the ethics and values held by the one who wielded it. Luckily for most, J'onn had a set of self-imposed principles that prevented him from abusing this particular power of his. He would not allow himself to violate other people's most private thoughts unless there was a dire need for it… and even then, he usually thought twice before doing so.

But even without using his mind reading ability, J'onn could sense a certain amount of anger in Catwoman. Anger and… loneliness. Suffice to say, being the last of his kind, J'onn knew exactly how it was like to be alone. Once, he had isolated himself for nearly two years, refusing to go on missions to Earth. He opted instead to stay in space, manning the Watchtower and coordinating the team's efforts. At Wonder Woman's gentle but firm urging, he finally decided to take a leave of absence to immerse himself with the humans. It had been the best decision he had ever made. He would have been forever alone otherwise.

_Perhaps the League can help Catwoman deal with her issues… Worst case scenario, I can always take a peek, can't I? But Diana is a good friend… after all that she's been through just to win Bruce's heart, does she really need this added complication?_

* * *

Clark Kent, the journalist, knew all about Catwoman. He knew that she was very skilled at playing mind games. With her cunning mind, she can outwit most of her adversaries – sometimes even Batman himself. Sometimes. _Or maybe Bruce just let her_, Clark mused.

He felt torn – torn between his loyalty to Bruce and Diana and his dedication to truth and justice. It had taken his stubborn best friend virtually forever to not only admit his love for Diana but to act on it as well. Clark was not about to jeopardize it the second time around. Diana was probably the most beautiful woman he had ever known, her strength of will and fierce courage were incomparable – she was the embodiment of perfection. _But kissing her had been… almost incestuous._ Clark suppressed a shudder of repulsion mixed with guilt at the memory of the kiss that had started this emotional roller coaster ride for Bruce and Diana.

He knew that some of his colleagues thought him to be clueless some times. He hadn't noticed that Diana had a crush on Bruce until he, Diana, John and Bruce got turned to kids by Morgaine Le Fey. It had taken a not so subtle hint from John for him to start seeing the signs of love in bloom between his two closest friends. He smiled at the memory.

"_I guess I'll go with Clark," Diana whispered. She tapped her chin thoughtfully, giving Bruce a sideways glance. "Unless I should go with you."_

"_Whatever," Bruce muttered._

"_I'm fine to go with Diana," Clark said amiably._

"_So, Bruce and I are good to go?" John asked for confirmation._

"_I changed my mind," Diana clasped her hands in front of her. "I'll go with Bruce and John can go with Clark." She batted her eyelashes bashfully at Bruce._

"_What. Ever." _

_Clark watched in confusion as Diana took Bruce's hand and virtually dragged him off. "What's with them?" he asked John._

"_Man, for somebody with like fifty kinds of vision, you are __**so**__ blind," John rolled his eyes when 'Superboy' couldn't understand why 'Wonder Girl' had insisted on pairing up with 'Batboy.'_

After that mission, Clark had decided to start observing his two friends closely. And no one could have been happier than him when Bruce and Diana finally got together. He knew that Bruce would push Diana away, of course. But something told him that the stubborn princess would prevail – which she did. Recently, because of his guilt from their kiss, Clark could not help but 'eavesdrop' on his friends from time to time. _Just to check_, he told himself. _I know when to stop listening in._ It wasn't at all hard if you had super hearing. It was just a matter of filtering through all the 'noise' – and he's had a lifetime of practice with that.

He had already noticed that Steve was trying to find ways to get close to Diana and Clark tried to intervene whenever he could. The look on Steve's face when the ex-pilot ended up going on a coffee date with him was hilarious. During the charity gala, he had listened in on Bruce and Steve's conversation. It was already obvious that Bruce was on the edge. Add Selina's surprise appearance into the fray… Clark feared for his best friend's peace of mind.

Clark did not see Steve as a security threat per se. _"We don't know what Waller's told him." _Bruce had reminded him once of the big chance that Steve might be privy to the Cadmus files – that night when Clark paid him a visit in the Batcave to give Bruce the diamond he made which his friend had crafted into Diana's engagement ring. And now, Steve was championing Selina's cause just a day after the auction… He did not need to be as paranoid as Bruce to see that as too big a coincidence to be pure chance.

But as Superman, he had to make an unbiased decision – for the good of the League. _Is it wise to admit Catwoman into the group? What are her motivations? Will she betray us? _In his career as a superhero, there were times where he had had to work with his archenemies like Lex Luthor and Apokolips' mad despot, Darkseid. It had been difficult for him to work alongside them, knowing that in the end, they were bound to betray the cause of good. _I asked Diana to keep an open mind,_ he reminded himself. _Maybe it's time I followed my own advice._

_Catwoman's skills would definitely be an asset to the League – if harnessed properly. Even if she has shifting allegiances, it's not like she's a villain of Luthor's or Darkseid's caliber, is she?_ The prominent 'S' on his superhero garb suddenly felt like it was burning a hole through his chest. It was the coat of arms for the House of El. It was a symbol for hope. _Is Catwoman well and truly beyond all hope and redemption?_

He frowned in uncertainty. _What would Bruce do?_

* * *

Diana gritted her teeth in frustration. _Great Hera! My patience wears thin! That woman truly enjoys baiting me!_

_Calm down, Diana,_ she told herself and took a deep, steadying breath. She acknowledged her inexperience when it came to matters of the heart. Even with Athena's gift of wisdom, she still found it difficult to understand the way Man's World worked sometimes. There were too many things to consider, too many shades of gray. But one thing for sure, Diana no longer felt threatened with Selina's history with Bruce. Shortly after he began opening up to her, she had managed to take the lasso off his wrist without his knowledge. She meant it when she said she trusted him. She understood now that a part of Bruce will always love Selina. She had been a part of his life for so long and in one way or the other, helped mold him to become the man that he was. _And I will not begrudge him that,_ she thought resolutely. _But that woman is only here to cause trouble, of that I am certain. And I can't allow – I will not allow – her personal vendetta against me to affect the League's team dynamics._

"_But she's not the purely selfish person that people think,"_ Diana suddenly heard Bruce's voice in her head. _"God knows she's risked her life for me more than I care to count – that's proof that she __**can**__ be selfless. And it's proof that she __**can**__ love – that she __**does**__ love."_ Against her better judgment, Diana started recalling what Bruce told her about Selina's past.

"_Selina and I are alike. She was one of the very few people who could understand me because she'd been through the kind of hell that I'd been through."_

Her violent alcoholic father had passed away soon after her brutalized mother committed suicide. At a very young age, Selina got separated from her sister and virtually grew up in an abusive state home for juvenile delinquents.

"_We were like broken mirrors, all shattered pieces and jagged edges."_

Diana closed her eyes trying to suppress the feelings of empathy that began to throb through her. She remembered what she had told Bruce on their way home from the charity ball.

"_But Bruce, she sounds so lost and confused to me. The League can help guide her towards what is right and what is good."_

"_A leopard can't change its spots."_

"_Don't be ridiculous. Anybody can change for the better. You did, why can't she?"_

The memory left a bitter taste in her mouth.

_Wise Athena,_ Diana prayed. _Help me make a fair and just decision… _

* * *

"Has everybody come up with a decision?" Superman asked.

All five founding members nodded.

The Man of Steel took a deep breath and expelled it slowly. "Then, let's vote."


End file.
